Mel Balette asked Katharine McGee:

I loved American Royals. Was one of my favourite series of all time! What was your inspiration for Daphne and did you always know who you wanted her to be and how who wanted her in the end?

Katharine McGee Most people are surprised to hear this, but Daphne was actually inspired by Kate Middleton—or at least, the way the British press used to portray her. When Kate first started dating Prince William, the British media were so critical of her! They drew upon a few facts—Kate had a poster of William in her room when she was a teenager (like most teens!), and the fact that she switched schools to St. Andrews, after William had announced he was going there—and based on that, they fabricated a narrative where Kate is an elaborate social climber. They claimed that she’d switched schools *because* of Prince William—because she had decided that she would marry him, and become a princess. They even had a cruel name for Kate and her sister Pippa: they called them the Wisteria Sisters, because wisteria is pretty and climbs very fast. How awful.

While I don’t believe that Kate set out to marry William from age fourteen, I’ve always thought this was a fascinating starting place for a character. What if you were a modern woman who orchestrated her entire life around the goal of marrying a prince? What kind of person would you have to be to make it happen, and ultimately, what would it cost you?

As for the ending to Daphne’s story—I don’t want to say anything, in case there are more American Royals books!

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