A Most English Princess

A Novel of Queen Victoria's Daughter

By: Clare McHugh

Narrated by: Katharine Lee McEwan

Length: 17 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's summary

"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.” (Marie Benedict, New York Times best-selling author of The Only Woman in the Room)

Perfect 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 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.

©2020 Clare McHugh (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Very good

I’m a history buff and this book answers a lot of my questions. The personality of Willham was scary. They way they treated his arm was torture.

A Decent Story with An Abrupt Ending.

I found this story interesting, but the end was sudden. it was just like the author met the minimum required amount of words and done! The structure has a Dickensian feel too it.

Light listening. Very light listening

It was just Ok for me. At times it felt like a soap opera. The scope of the story is somewhat narrow and focused on Victoria's marriage, her politics and the drama inside the royal family. There is lots of filler and over it felt too long.

I often judge a book by how often I think about it and the characters once it is finished and if it touches me in some way. I was glad this one was over. I am even surprised I finished it as I got so impatient with the drama and Victoria constant opinionating..

....If it wasn't for the narrator!

The story is interesting, entertaining, and appears to be historically mostly correct. I just wish the reader had some basic knowledge of the German language. She mispronounced most names, places, and quotes, which made me cringe too often.

A Most English Princess

An interesting account of Queen Victoria ‘s daughter, and her life as the wife of the Prince of Prussia. I am not sure of the accuracy of the history presented, however, I would enjoy further research into the facts. The story held my attention, for the most part. I was disappointed in the narration, which is a deal breaker for me. There were times when the German/Prussian/Austrian accents sounded more like something straight out of a Dracula movie. That being said, I would recommend this audiobook to anyone who is not as picky about narration.

Nice book. Historic?

I hope it is correct. I enjoy it. I recommend to hear it. I would like to read more like it

Peculiar

Missed so much of her life story. Ended abruptly before Fritz’s death . I kept thinking I had missed several chapters but alas- bogged down in politics and missing so much of her remarkable life and widowhood

Loved this book!

I listened to this book on Audible. After watching the show Victoria in PBS, this book was an excellent extension of Victoria’s eldest daughter. I enjoyed the book very much.

Beautiful Story

What a delight A Most English Princess: A Novel of Queen Victoria's Daughter by Clare McHugh turned out to be. To start, I did not realize the story was based on real people and events, so that was fun to realize soon after I started listening. I am so happy to have found this book on Audible as a 'deal of the day'. Being of Prussian heritage, this story was extra-special because I really enjoyed learning about the royalty of where some of my ancestors lived. The story focuses on Princess Vicky, the daughter of Queen Victoria beginning as a young girl all the way to being the first German Empress. The story completely captured my attention and I had so much trouble turning it off so I could go to sleep or do things I needed. The book is very well researched and written, simply a fantastic work of historical fiction. I would highly recommend this to lovers of historical fiction, this is not a fluffy read, there is a lot of information packed into this novel.

Balanced portrayal of main characters

I enjoyed the author’s ability to develop believable complicated personality within the princess. I also was interested in the history of the era.