The horrific reality hit home for some.
Twitter was a flurry of activity after this week’s episode of the hit series Victoria portrayed the extent and horrors of the Irish Famine, known in Ireland as The Great Hunger.
The show is in its second season and as you can guess from the name, Victoria depicts the life of the eponymous monarch and focuses on the first few years of her reign, which happens to coincide with the Irish Famine.
That horrific period in Irish history was discussed prior to the start of the second season but it was unsure if the show would address the event in detail.
In this week’s episode, fans were given their answer.
The episode focused on Queen Victoria’s reaction to the Irish Famine where one million people died and a further two million left the country.
It showed Jenna Coleman’s Queen Victoria clashing with Prime Minister Robert Peel, who was reluctant to send aid over to Ireland amid fears that it would destabilise his party and weaken his position.
The episode was written by Daisy Goodwin, who is the great-great-great granddaughter of Dr Robert Traill, a real-life campaigner for famine victims in Ireland, and is portrayed in the show by Martin Compston.
Speaking to Radio Times, Goodwin said, “I thought his story would be a good way to illustrate the terrible way in which the Irish were treated by the British government.”
The ignorance in U.K if what happened in the Famine is shocking #Victoria #lessonsofhistory
— Daisy Goodwin (@DaisyGoodwin) October 1, 2017
Attitudes to Potato Famine in U.K. Classic example of #victimblaming #victoria
— Daisy Goodwin (@DaisyGoodwin) October 1, 2017
Viewers were shocked to learn the extent of the damage that was caused by the Irish Famine, and many took to Twitter to voice their opinions on the matter and praise Goodwin for her informed, sympathetic and detailed writing of that horrific period in history.
Very powerful episode tonight about the Irish potato famine, very personal to @DaisyGoodwin, and directed by Jim Loach …
— Paul Frift (@pfrift) October 1, 2017
Quite emotional watching #Victoria, my ancestors came to England to escape the Irish potato famine. Well done itv.
— Angela Scott (@angel103) October 1, 2017
:Watching #Victoria.1 million people died in the Irish potato #Famine?!!Heartbreaking.Powerful episode,@VictoriaSeries,@DaisyGoodwin.
— SarahTonin #GTTO #FBNHS #ProEU #SaveOurNHS #BLM (@I_am_SarahTonin) October 2, 2017
https://twitter.com/Ms_Sel01/status/914593337524604928
