Book Review of
A Most English Princess
Lynn's Review
A Most English Princess by Clare McHugh is a historical fiction book published in 2020.
A Most English Princess is about the daughter of Queen Victoria, who was also named Victoria, but called Vicky.
This book takes you into the world of Victorian England and the royal families of Europe during that time period.
I have read books about the Victorian Era, but most of them were set in England. This book is set partly in England and partly in Prussia, which is now Northern Germany and western Poland.
I found the historical aspects of this book fascinating. I knew that European royal families were connected, but I had no idea how much they were really connected.
During the Victorian Era, royals married other royals for political advantage. Queen Victoria’s children are an example of that.
Vicky, Queen Victoria’s oldest child and who was the Princess Royal, married the Prince of Prussia. Queen Victoria’s oldest son, Albert, married the Princess of Denmark. It continued with her other children.
This book was a reminder of how Royal European families are very connected.
I also loved how much I learned about European politics, especially Prussia’s and Germany’s during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Reading about the years leading up to WWI was a reminder of how complicated that time period was and what led up to WWI.
I loved the historical parts of this book. What I didn’t love was that it was often hard to tell what was fact and what was fiction. Queen Victoria and her daughter, Princess Victoria, are real people, and a lot is known about them. I struggle at times when reading about them and the conversations they had, which probably never happened. Or at least didn’t take place as described in the book.
This is often the case with me and historical fiction, though. I love to read historical fiction, but I often prefer a book about a historical event, time period, or a little known person over a historical book about a famous person.
I also thought the book’s ending was very rushed. I wanted to know more about Princess Victoria’s later years.
This book was also a little too open door for me. There were a couple of scenes, especially the Princess’s wedding night, that were too detailed and descriptive for me.
If you have read this book, I would love to hear what you thought of it.
For me, it was a 3.5-star read.