My Name is Victoria by Lucy Worsley

Lucy Worsley’s second book for young readers is the story of Miss V. Conroy who is brought to Kensington Palace to act as a companion to the young Princess Victoria. Her father John Conroy is the architect of the Kensington system of which Miss V. is expected to become a part, because Miss V. is very good at keeping secrets. Her father calls her his mouse because she is so calm and quiet in contrast to the wild and wilful Princess. The system is meant to protect the Princess from those who would do her harm and to keep her away from the bad influences including her mother the Duchess of Kent. Miss V. is very soon torn between loyalty to her father and her growing friendship with Victoria as she begins to see how the system keeps Victoria locked away from the world and might even be damaging to her health.

This book is an absolute delight and will appeal of course to fans of Lucy’s television work and her previous novel for young adults Eliza Rose but I believe My Name is Victoria will have even broader appeal, with a successful first series of Victoria and a second series confirmed the interest in the younger years of Queen Victoria has never been so intense. With this book I believe Lucy Worsley has really found her voice as a writer of historical fiction for children. Ideal for fans of Katherine Woodfine and Emma Carroll.  

Thanks so much to Shelley and Louise at Love Reading and the publisher for sending me a copy to review.

My Name is Victoria will be published on the 9th March in the UK and Ireland by Bloomsbury.