A new look at an iconic writer, a racist empire, and a diverse city, brought uncomfortably together by a bold trick on the Royal Navy.
. . .
In February 1910, Virginia Woolf joined an outrageous hoax on the British Navy. Blackening her face with greasepaint, she masqueraded as an African prince and conned her way onto the decks of the most famous battleship of the day, the H.M.S. Dreadnought. The stunt sparked a global sensation. It made headlines around the world for weeks, embarrassed the Royal Navy, and even provoked heated discussions in parliament.
But who was the “girl prince,” and what was she doing there?
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The Girl Prince:
Virginia Woolf, Race, and
The Dreadnought Hoax
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