“In this sweeping, immersive novel, Clare McHugh draws readers into the mesmerizing world of the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria – Princess Vicky – as she emerges into a powerful force in her own right and ascends to become the first German Empress.” —Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room
Perfect for fans of the BBC’s Victoria, Alison Pataki’s The … for fans of the BBC’s Victoria, Alison Pataki’s The Accidental Empress, and Daisy Goodwin’s Victoria, this debut novel tells the gripping and tragic story of Queen Victoria’s eldest daughter, Victoria, Princess Royal.
To the world, she was Princess Victoria, daughter of a queen, wife of an emperor, and mother of Kaiser Wilhelm. Her family just called her Vicky…smart, pretty, and self-assured, she changed the course of the world.
January 1858: Princess Victoria glides down the aisle of St James Chapel to the waiting arms of her beloved, Fritz, Prince Frederick, heir to the powerful kingdom of Prussia. Although theirs is no mere political match, Vicky is determined that she and Fritz will lead by example, just as her parents Victoria and Albert had done, and also bring about a liberal and united Germany.
Brought up to believe in the rightness of her cause, Vicky nonetheless struggles to thrive in the constrained Prussian court, where each day she seems to take a wrong step. And her status as the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria does little to smooth over the conflicts she faces.
But handsome, gallant Fritz is always by her side, as they navigate court intrigue, and challenge the cunning Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, while fighting for the throne—and the soul of a nation. At home they endure tragedy, including their son, Wilhelm, rejecting all they stand for.
Clare McHugh tells the enthralling and riveting story of Victoria, the Princess Royal—from her younger years as the apple of her father Albert’s eyes through her rise to power atop the mighty German empire to her final months of life.
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With an impeccable attention to research, sense of place, and filled with relatable characters, A Most English Princess will sweep you away. A literary triumph with flavors of Daphne du Maurier, Edith Wharton, and Downton Abbey, this novel is poised to become a favorite for historical fiction lovers.
I absolutely loved “Victoria” by Daisy Goodwin, and I was really into the Amazon miniseries based upon that book as well. So when I saw that this one was recommended for fans of Goodwin, I decided to give it a shot.
What exactly was wrong with this book? I struggle to put my finger on it, but I think it comes down to the fact that I didn’t really like any of the characters except Prince Albert, Queen Victoria’s husband and Princess Vicky’s father. (Which is ironic, since in Goodwin’s “Victoria,” I was team Lord M, even though I knew the history of whom she actually married. The Amazon miniseries version of Albert was distasteful and unappealing, but McHugh’s is endearing.) McHugh’s version depicted Queen Victoria as exacting, and while she attempted to paint Princess Vicky’s marriage to Fritz, the crown prince of Prussia, as a happy one, Fritz’s character set my teeth on edge. He had his moments, but by and large I thought him an insensitive chauvinist (and I’m no feminist myself). I definitely did not appreciate the very detailed bedroom scenes either, and these did little to endear him to me.
As for Vicky herself… I identified with her well enough to finish the book, but there was something about her I did not respect, which increased as the book went on. She was excessively critical of her eldest son Willy (later Kaiser Wilhelm)–and while I think that the story intended to depict that the child simply had a bad disposition, and there was nothing she could do about it (which might have been true), it seemed to me that much of his character was a reaction against his mother’s disapproval. Later the epilogue, told from Wilhelm’s perspective during WWII, solidified this. Though Vicky seemed to be perpetually pregnant or nursing, she had a marked preference for their son Ziggy, which made me feel sorry for the rest of her children too. Then Ziggy died in childhood–and while I blamed Fritz for abandoning her in her grief, and Queen Victoria for admonishing her to get over him only a year later, she certainly became more shrewish after that.
Maybe what I liked so much more about “Victoria” was that it did not encompass the Queen’s entire life, but just her coming-of-age while wearing a crown. I found this fascinating, and it somehow lent itself much better to a novel. This one was very episodic, and I was apathetic about the characters at best.
My rating: ***
Language: none
Violence: none
Sexual content: gratuitous I thought, though in the context of marriage
Political content: historical only
I would have given it 4 stars but it got bogged down by too many details! It was interesting to learn more about Queen Victoria’s daughter.
It gives a clear picture of how the history of the Prussian state evolved into modern times. Princess Vicky became a very interesting character dealing with reactionary ideas regarding women’s involvement in politics.
Good biography & sad ending!
Great historical novel
Accurate historical fiction. I learned more about that time and the real life people that they were.I really enjoyed it.
Perfect for fans of The Crown and those interested in English and German history. This first person POV of life as a Princess/Queen will keep you interested throughout.
3.5 stars
This was the most well-researched historical novel I’ve read in a long time! If you miss TV’s Victoria, this story about the queen’s eldest daughter will definitely fill that void as you learn about her life and marriage in Prussia.
Congratulations to Clare McHugh on the success of her first book. It is wonderful. This was not a light read. I usually read as I watch TV but this book needed and deserved my full attention. Needless to say it took longer to read than most books. It was worth it. I learned so much while reading. I now understand more.
10/28/20 Every now and then something about this book would pop into my head. I didn’t have the time for an extensive reread so I purchased the audiobook. It was the best credit I ever spent. I devoured the story while listening. The narrator did such an amazing job. She put emotions into the book that I had not. It made a huge difference. I can only hope the author writes another book soon.
Beautifully written historical fiction look at the courtship and marriage of Princess Victoria; Queen Victoria’s oldest to Prussian Prince Franz.
The eldest daughter of Queen Victoria and mother of Kaiser Wilhelm, Princess Vicky deserves a novel of her own. Brimming with luxurious detail and vicious court intrigue, this is both a splendid portrait of a royal marriage and a woman whose dreams fell prey to the darkness of German history.
The strength of one woman, Crown Princess Victoria, to influence the path of European history during turbulent times is striking in this stunning debut from Clare McHugh.
In this sweeping, immersive novel, A Most English Princess draws readers into the mesmerizing world of the eldest daughter of Queen Victoria — Princess Vicky — as she emerges into a powerful force in her own right and ascends to become the first German Empress.
An impeccably detailed and incredibly researched account of Vicky, Princess Royal, from Clare McHugh. Fans of Masterpiece’s Victoria will love this fascinating story, an intimate look at the life of Vicky and her family. 4/5 stars
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.