I have written a children's book which takes place in the late 19th century between England and India. The Indian parts are historically accurate but I needed a different royal family to be ruling England, so I made one up.

I am doing the second draft and I remember being told to keep it all either one or the other (make it all up or none of it). Do you think this applies in this case? I cannot lose my royal family, but can change the facts about India and make it much more general.

I would be very grateful for any pointers.
Thank you so much. Hannah.

I have to ask why you felt it necessary to make up a Royal family for your story?
Could you use a titled owner of a large stately home, or one of the Queens cousins, or similar, instead?

- NaomiM

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I would hazard a guess that childrens publishers would prefer to see a unique spin concerning the facts rather than something that was purely fiction, so as to satisfy the school market - and 19th Century India would be a good selling point.

Hi Naomi, thank you for replying.

My main character is going to save the heir to the throne and her mother who rules in the King's stead, after he has been murdered by the bad guy etc etc. The villain wants to be King but also is in love with the Queen and wants her and the throne - so it's all made up and I needed the high stakes of a throne to be lost or won. Although the feeling of England and India in 1800's is correct, I wondered if it would feel odd having a made up royal family in a real setting.
I don't think I'm explaining myself very well - sorry, have brain rot today.
Thank you for taking the time anyway.
Best wishes.

That's fine, Hannah, I understand

I would just stick with the real royal family - their names at least, since they will be familiar to the children reading it, and provide the correct historical setting.

When it comes to fantasy you can put real-life famous people into any situation you want, and your tale could easily provide an alternative cause of death of Prince Albert. (Or, since it is set in the late C19th, threaten the life of the heir apparent, and others waiting in succession of the elderly Queen).
(cf. Susanna Clarke's unique take on the Napoleonic wars in Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell).


- NaomiM

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An alternative would be to make up an offshoot royal family and find a loop-hole in the succession to the English throne; someone who would have a legitimate claim when Queen Victoria died - maybe someone who's fiance is a catholic and is prepared to give up the crown to marry him - but the baddie steps in to try to prevent that, and so grab the English throne.

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That should be '...give up all rights to the crown...'

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'...and make up a loop-hole...'

- my brain's addled too :)

Naomi, that's brilliant!
Actually, the offshoot idea is definitely something I could do. Could either have my Queen and her daughter as offshoot of royal family who (as you suggested) by some bizarre law of succession are next in line, my Queen could be married to one of Queen V's sons, but not big,blowsy drunk one - maybe make one son down more noble and older son has died of debauchery already (except I think he went on to be Edward VIIth???). Could then have 'the queen is dead, long live the queen' type scene. Or could just make my queen one of Queen V's daughters - I think she had quite a few. Sorry this still sounds garbled, but I think I know how to do it.

Thank you so much for taking the time to suggest things - it's incredibly helpful. Enjoy the rest of the day.
Best wishes, Hannah.

PS Maybe this daughter s outlived all the others because Queen V lived for such a long time and law says heir must have living decendents etc,
just burnt my daughters tea...this could run and run.

Glad to see you're all fired up Hannah - in more ways than one!
(I regularly burn hubby's tea )

Hannah, you could have a look at Joan Aiken's books in the Wolves of Willoughby Chase series, if you don't know them, which are all set in a counter-factual early-Victorian England - her period detail is spot on, it's only really the politics that are different. Some of the best children's books ever, as well.

Would it work to make your equivalent India also just counterfactual enough - perhaps in a similar way - that their relationship to historical fact fits better with the English counter-factualness?

Dunno, just thinking aloud, really.

Emma

Dear Emma
Thank so much for replying.
What you suggested was what I had thought of originally since the royal family I invented are at the core of the book, it seemed easier to just make India, India rather than fretting about afghan wars and dates and the right city near the border which takes three days to get to etc etc. It would be much easier to be general (although a part of me likes the accuracy - but i do not have to lose that). Is that what you meant by counter-factual? That if one country/royal family is imagined then the other should be too?

I know exactly the Wolves of Willoughby Chase (also feel I have stolen outright a couple of scenes - how do we remember these things?) and that is the feeling I'm trying to get. I can't remember the politcs she put in - just remember the story, but will go and have a look.

Naomi - I loved Johnathan Strange too - very good.

Thanks so much. am going to try and nail this today. Have a good day and best wishes. Hannah.

Is that what you meant by counter-factual? That if one country/royal family is imagined then the other should be too?

Yes, that's just what I meant: counter-factual in the sense that most of the history is accurate, and only one aspect is different. If you get the texture and detail of life and language authentic then the world feels authentic and alive to the reader (this is where Aiken is sooooo brilliant) even when the story does mad or 'wrong' things, like the wicked Hanoverians putting St Paul's on rollers for the coronation of good Jacobite King Jamie... (The Cuckoo Tree - one of my absolute favourites).

Emma

Hi Emma,
I think this is what I have done (although will also do anything to get out of massive re-write).
I'm going to have a quick look at the history and see if anything leaps out at me (there's always Rasputin...!), but if not, I might risk it and post up a bit and see what the frightenly accomplished children's group think. I think it works, but cannot possibly be objective about it. Sorry for lack of technical knowledge - still so new to it all.
I really, really appreciate your help.
Thanks, Hannah.