Viewers were shocked by Victoria's "brutally honest" depiction of the potato famine
Fans praised writer Daisy Goodwin for highlighting the issue in an episode starring Line of Duty's Martin Compston
Episode six of Victoria saw the young queen struggling to deal with the ever-worsening potato famine across in Ireland – and viewers were blown away by the show's heartbreaking depiction of events.
The episode saw Jenna Coleman's Queen Victoria locking horns with Prime Minister Robert Peel, who was reluctant to send aid to Ireland for fear it would destabilise his party and put his political career in jeopardy. Line of Duty star Martin Compston appeared in the show as Dr Robert Traill, an Irish reverend who appealed to Queen Victoria for help on behalf of his people.
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Viewers were shocked to learn the extent of the damage caused by the famine, which was the result of a failed potato crop between 1845 and 1849, leading to widespread starvation, emigration and the death of over one million people. Many took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the episode, and to praise Victoria creator Daisy Goodwin for highlighting the issue.
https://twitter.com/Padraig_McCann/status/914589483613466624
https://twitter.com/pfrift/status/914577873838714880
https://twitter.com/angel103/status/914603622977155077
https://twitter.com/SarahToninModel/status/914654435523080192
https://twitter.com/EvanDonoghue/status/914613134790418433
https://twitter.com/Estella035/status/914613986183835649
https://twitter.com/ClarkRenney/status/914602423146205184
https://twitter.com/LucyLou03/status/914599466807816199
https://twitter.com/Padraig_McCann/status/914588609969360896
Goodwin joined the conversation too, bemoaning "ignorance" surrounding the issue in the UK.
https://twitter.com/DaisyGoodwin/status/914625790058344448
https://twitter.com/DaisyGoodwin/status/914628718261399552
The Victoria creator also revealed that Traill is her own distant relative.
https://twitter.com/DaisyGoodwin/status/914598227101577216
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLbs-Pk9dtKb8YP3Qd5UDiUQqkuzd776iF