Clare’s answer to “Thanks for your answer, Clare. If you don't mind another question, I realise it must be difficult t…” > Likes and Comments
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I've just been through one of them. I loved that she was able to make even Bismarck flinch. Such a strong man faltering before a very young girl with little political influence: it was a brilliant scene. Was he another character who needed buildingup to justify some of his choices, or was he also based on exisiting sources?
As much as possible I stuck to what they both remembered of their confrontations. Bismarck had a grudging respect for Vicky even as he deplored her influence
Those scenes work really well.
Another that I found really interesting is when Vicky and Fritz are choosing Wilhelm's tutor. Did you write it by design so that we would feel that Vicky was wrong in her approach to her son's education? As a teacher myself, I couldn't help cringe as I saw her dismiss the first tutor because he didn't meet her expectations, instead choosing to focus on what would be better for Willie.
Hi Thomas,
Yes! I was intrigued by what William's biographer, Rohl, had dug up about the choice of tutor. The documents he found provided conclusively that Vicky turned away from someone who would have been much much better for her son and instead chose someone way too rigid. This reflected her lack of empathy for the boy, and her narrow mind set about what was required to best nurture a person who would later have much responsibility as an adult. For someone very intelligent, she could be very stubborn and short-sighted. The most terrible thing was not only was the tutor she picked wrong for Willy, he was wrong for the family, because he encouraged the boys disdain for his mother! Perhaps no decision in her life was more wrong-headed....she also did something however, later in Willy's life that was probably good. She blocked his marriage to Ella of Hesse who might have been a hemophiliac carrier as her two sisters were....in any case the choice of tutor was terrible but I hope the reader can appreciate that in her embattled position, and consumed with worries that her son would not prove worthy of his position, the choice made emotional sense. Thanks again for reading with such close attention! Best Clare
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Thomas
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Apr 27, 2022 12:09PM
I've just been through one of them. I loved that she was able to make even Bismarck flinch. Such a strong man faltering before a very young girl with little political influence: it was a brilliant scene. Was he another character who needed buildingup to justify some of his choices, or was he also based on exisiting sources?
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As much as possible I stuck to what they both remembered of their confrontations. Bismarck had a grudging respect for Vicky even as he deplored her influence
Those scenes work really well.Another that I found really interesting is when Vicky and Fritz are choosing Wilhelm's tutor. Did you write it by design so that we would feel that Vicky was wrong in her approach to her son's education? As a teacher myself, I couldn't help cringe as I saw her dismiss the first tutor because he didn't meet her expectations, instead choosing to focus on what would be better for Willie.
Hi Thomas, Yes! I was intrigued by what William's biographer, Rohl, had dug up about the choice of tutor. The documents he found provided conclusively that Vicky turned away from someone who would have been much much better for her son and instead chose someone way too rigid. This reflected her lack of empathy for the boy, and her narrow mind set about what was required to best nurture a person who would later have much responsibility as an adult. For someone very intelligent, she could be very stubborn and short-sighted. The most terrible thing was not only was the tutor she picked wrong for Willy, he was wrong for the family, because he encouraged the boys disdain for his mother! Perhaps no decision in her life was more wrong-headed....she also did something however, later in Willy's life that was probably good. She blocked his marriage to Ella of Hesse who might have been a hemophiliac carrier as her two sisters were....in any case the choice of tutor was terrible but I hope the reader can appreciate that in her embattled position, and consumed with worries that her son would not prove worthy of his position, the choice made emotional sense. Thanks again for reading with such close attention! Best Clare
