Posted by
James on June 22, 2010 at 3:41pm
First broadcast 20090826
Comedy by Paul Watson about the world of the 'blue blood' debutantes, set in 1958.
Jemima Courtney's parents advise her in her bid to secure a match with Claude, son of the ageing Viscount Tudely.
Unfortunately, however, there are many others in the cattle market who are competing for a noble but crumbling pile garlanded with the title Viscountess, the Lady Tudely.
Jemima....Honeysuckle Weeks
Claude....Bertie Carvel
Viscount Tudely....David Collings
Viviane Courtney....Jemma Redgrave
Coral....Sarah Kants
Sarah Jane....Lydia Leonard
Sally/Victoria....Amanda Ryan
Margaret Pownall....Sarah Badel
Madame Vacani/Boues....Rachel Atkins
Plant/Butler....Keith Drinkel
Stanley....Daniel Weyman
Daddy/General....Guy Henry
Henry....Samuel Yeomans
Directed by Paul Watson.
background information:
For a select group of aristocratic and upper class families, ‘coming out’ had long been a rite of passage.
The London Season began with the girls’, or debutantes’, formal presentation at court: dressed in all their finery, they would file into Buckingham Palace to curtsey to the king or queen.
Applications for young girls to be presented at court were required to be made by ladies who themselves had been presented to the Sovereign which may have been their mother or someone else known by the family who themselves were eligible to vouch for the lady being presented. A mother-in-law who herself has been presented might, for example, present her new daughter-in-law. The Presentation of debutantes at court was also a way for young girls of marital age to be presented to suitable bachelors and their families in the hopes of finding a suitable husband. The bachelor in turn would use the court presentation as a chance to find a suitable wife. Those who wanted to be presented at court were required to apply for permission to do so by which if the application was accepted, they would be sent a royal summons from the Lord Chamberlain to attend the Presentation on a certain day which stated by Debretts always started at 10pm. As well as débutantes, older women and married women who had not previously been presented could be presented at Court.
On the day of the court presentation, the débutante and her mother or other eligible lady would be announced, the debutante would curtsy to the Sovereign and then leave without turning her back.
The court dress would have traditionally been a white evening dress, the colour white represented a young girl's virginity and purity but shades of ivory and pink were acceptable. The white dress would have consisted of short sleeves and white gloves and a train which would have been held in the debutantes arm until ready to be presented; a veil consisting of white ostrich feathers. Débutantes would also wear pearls but many would also wear jewellery that belonged to the family.
An 1890's era débutante gown
After the débutantes had been presented to the reigning monarch, they would then attend the social season as a means of being launched into society as a young lady which would have consisted of Royal Ascot, Afternoon tea parties, Polo Matches and balls, all of which the young girls being presented would have been expected to attend and act in a manner befitting of a lady. Many débutantes would also have their own "coming-out party" or, alternatively, a party shared with a sister or other member of family.
The last débutantes were presented at Court in 1958 after Queen Elizabeth II abolished the ceremony.BBC R4 AP 20090826 my lovely man.mp3
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