Elizabeth of Russia is on the throne, and somewhere in Europe is a girl who should be - the daughter of an empress, raised without a name, and worth a great deal to anyone who can produce her. Mühlbach was Klara Mundt, who wrote nearly three hundred volumes and poured the courts of Europe into them; the Princess Tarakanova affair was real, and so was the frigate that took her off.

Luise Mühlbach (1814-1873) was the pen name of German author Clara Mundt. She wrote historical novels centered on European royalty and political figures, among them Joseph II and His Court, The Daughter of an Empress, and Henry VIII and His Court.