Lines of young women of a marriageable age dropping curtseys to the monarch might sound strange to many of us today, but in the 19th and early 20th centuries, these presentation ceremonies were the starting point of the London high social season.
Just after Easter, a flock of eligible girls, known as debutantes, were invited to Buckingham Palace to curtsey to the sovereign. These ‘coming out’ ceremonies, which were scheduled for two or three days a year, provided the opportunity to show the world they were ready to marry. ‘Coming out’ also marked the beginning of a busy social calendar, which included a number of balls, cocktail parties, teas and dinners throughout the summer and could be extended to the shooting season in the autumn.
Just like attending a court event in the 18th century, being presented at court was a privilege restricted to aristocratic families, although the daughters of the clergy, military, doctors and lawyers could also apply. A young woman needed a sponsor to make an application, the grander the better.
There were no age restrictions – as long as the young lady was ready to become a wife, she could ‘come out’. Generally, the girls were aged between 15 and 18 years old, fresh out of finishing school where they had been trained in the many accomplishments they were expected to possess, both intellectual and social skills, and of course, being an accomplished hostess. Finishing schools also acted as matchmakers, hosting parties and organising the girls’ calendars so they could meet prospective suitors.
To make the best of the London season, debutantes had to acquire extensive wardrobes, filled with ball gowns, cocktail dresses and smart day outfits for garden parties and teas. For the presentation at court, the dress had to follow the strict specifications found in Dress and Insignia Worn at Court, a manual issued each year by the Lord Chamberlain’s Office prior to the ceremonies.
In 1912, it asked ladies to wear an evening gown, the skirt of which should ‘extend behind not less than 15 inches on the ground. The regulation length of a Court Train is 3 yards from the shoulders and the width at the end is 54 inches, but in any case the train should not be greater length on the ground than 54 inches.’
Headdresses were also specified: ‘Three white Feathers mounted as a Prince of Wales’s Plume, the centre feather being a little higher than the two side ones, to be worn slightly on the left-hand side of the head, with the tulle Veil attached to the base of the feathers. The Veil should not be longer than 45 inches. Lace Lappets may be worn…White Gloves only to be worn, except in case of Mourning, when Black or Grey Gloves are admissible.’
Unlike the 18th century, when court dress maintained the long out-dated style of a wide mantua, debutantes wore fashionable gowns that evolved with the new silhouettes and so could be re-worn to other evening events or as wedding dresses. This dress (below), by French couturier Jeanne Lanvin, follows the fashionable shorter length and style of the 1920s. The detachable train was possibly created by a different maker specifically for the court presentation.
Men were also presented at court, in a morning ceremony called the levée. From the 19th century men wore their full dress uniforms. If you were not entitled to a uniform, a velvet court suit comprising coat, waistcoat and breeches was required. An informal court dress of black coat and breeches, and black or white waistcoat was also an alternative for dinners, balls and receptions. An evening shirt with white tie, plain court shoes and a folded cocked hat or opera hat completed the costume. At Court, two officials stood at the foot of the staircase to check that you were correctly dressed before entering the royal presence.
With the outbreak of World War II, George VI (1936-52) decided to suspend the court presentations and levée. Instead, from 1947 onwards he instigated parties in the gardens of Buckingham Palace that would be the equivalent of ‘coming out’ ceremonies.
For these far less formal ceremonies, debutantes were required only to wear a simple afternoon dress and hat – trains and plumes had gone forever. When Miss Ann Kennerly was presented in 1956, she wore a printed dress and matching jacket by British designer Charles Creed. Often a debutante would go to the same designer as her mother. Men’s clothing also got simpler – they wore top hats, frock coats and white waistcoats.
By the 1950s, presentations no longer seemed to fit with the changing times. The last ceremony was held at Buckingham Palace in 1958, when 1,441 young girls curtseyed to The Queen. This had a huge impact on the British fashion industry, and many of those designers, dressmakers, hair stylists and others dependent on this custom went out of business.
Diplomatic dressing
Arguably, one of a senior royal’s most important roles is to represent their nation at home and abroad. Royalty travel far and wide to connect to people on their nation’s behalf, and wherever they go, they are watched by not just their hosts, but by people in their home country too. They are seen by thousands of people, and so how they dress is a crucial part of the communication of an international mission. Dressing diplomatically involves careful choices around colours, fabrics, culturally appropriate styles, weather, symbolic features and local designers for multiple outfits, for day and evening wear.
Queen Victoria (1837-1901) was a champion of Scottish tartan. The custom began with flamboyant George IV (1820-30) and his celebratory 1822 entrance into Edinburgh – wearing a kilt as a public relations gesture. Queen Victoria continued the tradition on her own first trip to Scotland, rarely seen without a tartan dress or shawl, and Prince Albert regularly wore kilts on visits to Balmoral Castle. The tradition has endured among more recent members of the royal family too; Her Majesty The Queen and indeed the whole family have been photographed all wearing kilts. Diana, Princess of Wales had several tartan outfits and the Duchess of Cambridge made an impression with her soft blue and grey tartan coat on a visit to Scotland in 2013.
For the first state visit by Queen Elizabeth, The Queen Mother in 1938, Norman Hartnell was commissioned to create a wardrobe for the trip to France, designing over 30 dresses, carefully planning colours and styles to avoid clashes and ensure that she stood out in all situations. However, these designs were never seen, as her mother, the Countess of Strathmore, died five days before they were due to leave, and the court went into mourning.
The Queen left for France two weeks later than planned, giving Hartnell a frantic fortnight to re-design the entire wardrobe in mourning-appropriate colours. Hartnell discussed with her possible alternatives to traditional mourning colours of purple and black in summer and together they decided to revive the French court tradition of white mourning dress. Every outfit was white and the resulting ‘White Wardrobe’ went down in history as one of the greatest moments in royal dressing. Hartnell continued to design for her according to his ‘dress diplomacy’ rules, ensuring that she had enough clothes for six or seven changes a day. For her domestic visits, for example when she made tours of bomb sites in war-torn London, he designed in pale colours – to give people she met comfort and encouragement.
Her Majesty The Queen is the most widely-travelled monarch in history. Her designers carefully consider her destinations and consistently include references to a country, often choosing to include the colours of the host’s flags. Her unerring choice of outfits, which steer the careful line between daring and classic, modest yet bold, has rarely been faulted.
Early in her reign, Her Majesty conducted lengthy tours as head of the Commonwealth. During her tour in 1953‒54, The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visited 14 countries by steamer, yacht, train, plane and car. Images of the tour, and in particular, the young, glamourous royal couple, were published in magazines and souvenir guides. All of these carried glowing descriptions of The Queen’s day and evening wear. A fascinated audience gobbled up every detail, and her style evolved in a move to restore people’s faith in the monarchy.
This template for dressing diplomatically has continued throughout The Queen’s reign. The Queen and The Duke of Edinburgh visited the Republic of Ireland in May 2011, the first visit by a British reigning monarch since 1911. This was an extremely sensitive visit, and much thought went into The Queen’s wardrobe. She arrived wearing a matching green dress, coat and hat by Stewart Parvin for her arrival and a green outfit by Angela Kelly for her meeting with former IRA commander Martin McGuinness. In the ‘emerald isle’ of Ireland, green is a colour traditionally associated with the country, and wearing this colour was seen as a mark of solidarity with the Irish people.
What is not worn on these trips is just as important too. Diana, Princess of Wales was told not to wear Argentina’s colours on a 1991 trip to Brasilia, as they had beaten Brazil in the World Cup the previous year. Princess Diana was often a ‘diplomatic dresser’. She wore a pink dress on a state visit to Japan in 1986, for example, designed by Zandra Rhodes. It was chosen to represent the cherry blossom in flower at the time of the royal visit.
The Duchess of Cambridge is now often at the forefront of modern minds when considering dressing diplomatically. Her outfits continue to be analysed just as The Queen was on her first royal tour. All that has changed is the media technology, and the speed at which images of their clothes, hats, jewels and shoes can be flashed around the world. On the 2012 royal tour of Asia, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a formal Alexander McQueen gown for a dinner with the Malaysian Head of State. It was silk tulle, with gold appliquéd hibiscus flowers, the national flower of Malaysia. The reference to the host country was a noticeable ‘fashion moment’, as was her red maple leaf hat by Lock & Co to accompany her white ‘Nanette’ Reiss dress for the 2011 Canada royal tour. This effective trend of dressing diplomatically is sure to keep on going.
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