Thomas asked Clare McHugh:

Thanks for your answer, Clare. If you don't mind another question, I realise it must be difficult to write a story about facts which can't really be changed. But history is also a lot of speculation and deducations supported by facts. I've just read the chapter where Vicky confronts her mother-in-law after Albert's death. Was that based on your interpretation of the characters? I loved seeing Vicky strong.

Clare McHugh Thomas, I love her strong too! And I wanted to demonstrate this whenever I could, based on the record. I knew that Vicky and her mother-in-law had a kind of rapprochement after alberts death based on what she wrote to her own mother about their discussions. I used some of the language in fact, lifted directly from those letters. However, in the arch of Vicky’s life, she was often bullied despite her strength, and at other occasions she was not tactical, sometimes she failed to read the room. But she was nearly always right about politics. Not as good on family relationships. Let me know what you think of her confrontations with Bismarck!

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Thomas 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 ...more
May 08, 2022 04:22AM · flag

Clare McHugh 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 ...more
May 09, 2022 06:38AM · flag