Debutante: Difference between revisions

A '''debutante''', also spelled '''débutante''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|d|ɛ|b|j|ʊ|t|ɑː|n|t}} {{respell|DEB|yuu|tahnt}}; from {{lang-fr|débutante|link=no}} {{IPA|fr|debytɑ̃t|}}, {{gloss|female beginner}}), or '''deb''' is a young woman of [[aristocratic]] or [[Upper class|upper-class]] family background who has reached maturity and is presented to [[high society (social class)|society]] at a formal "debut" ({{IPAc-en|UK|ˈ|d|eɪ|b|juː|,_|ˈ|d|ɛ|b|juː}} {{respell|DAY|bew|,_|DEB|yoo}}, {{IPAc-en|US|d|eɪ|ˈ|b|juː}} {{respell|day|BEW}}; {{lang-fr|début|links=no}} {{IPA|fr|deby|}}) or possibly [[debutante ball]]. Originally, the term meantindicated that the woman was old enough to be married, and part of theone purpose of her "coming out" was to display her to eligible [[bachelor]]s and their families with a view to marriage within a select circle.

In early modern times, marriage in the UK was an economic transaction that required a [[dowry]] for the woman, who would not inherit her father's estate. The [[Protestant Reformation]] eliminated [[convent]]s where less desirable daughters could be sent and avoid the expense of buying a desirable husband.<ref name="time">{{cite web |url=https://time.com/5737250/debutantes-history/ |title=It's Easy to Dismiss Debutante Balls, But Their History Can Help Us Understand Women's Lives |author=Kristen Richardson |date=November 25, 2019 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]}}</ref> To more efficiently match unmarried women of relatively high-status families to eligible [[bachelors]] between relatively high-status families, Queen [[Elizabeth I]] established the tradition of summoning them for formal presentation to the [[British monarch]].<ref name="time" />

In 1780, King [[George III]] organized the first [[Queen Charlotte's Ball]] at the [[Court of St James's]] in honorhonour of his wife's birthday and to counter criticism that the couple was too frugal.<ref name="extra">{{cite web |url=https://www.historyextra.com/period/modern/debutante-history-ball-court-queen-charlotte-real-history-fashion/ |title=From balls to Bridgerton: a brief history of debutantes and the social season |publisher=[[BBC]] |author=Carolyn Harris |date=February 19, 2021}}</ref> This began the tradition of the British [[Season (society)|social season]] beginning with presentation of debutantes at royal court.<ref name="extra" />

In the Victorian era, debutantesthose wouldwho bewanted acceptedto onlybe withpresented aat recommendationcourt fromrequired a former debutante, ''[[id est|i.e.]]'' a lady who had previously been presented to the sovereign, to apply on their behalf for permission. Such recommendations were often made by the mother of a young woman, or her mother-in-law if she was married. As eligibility expanded beyond British nobles, wealthy American families would sometimes pay British noblewomen to allow their daughters to become debutantes in the UK.<ref name="extra" /> If the application was accepted, they would be sent a royal summons from the [[Lord Chamberlain]] to attend the presentation on a certain day. According to ''[[Debrett's]]'', the proceedings on that day always started at 10&nbsp;am. In addition to debutantes, older women, and married women who had not previously been presented, could be presented at court.{{fact|date=December 2023}}

The last debutantes were presented at the [[Court of St James's]] in 1958, after which Queen [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|Elizabeth II]] abolished the ceremony; [[Princess Margaret]], the Queen's sister, acidly remarked, "We had to put a stop to it. Every tart in London was getting in,",<ref>{{cite news |last1=O'Hagan |first1=Sean |title=The enigma of Rose Dugdale: what drove a former debutante to become Britain and Ireland's most wanted terrorist? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2024/mar/10/rose-dugdale-baltimore-imogen-poots-heiress-rebel-vigilante-bomber-sean-o-driscoll |access-date=10 March 2024 |work=The Observer |date=10 March 2024}}</ref> as British society was becoming more egalitarian. More "bluestocking" debutantes went to college after their debuts, and participants had been complaining about the physical and financial burden.<ref name="extra" /> Attempts were made to keep the tradition going by organising a series of parties for young women who might otherwise have been presented at court in their first season (to which suitable young men were also invited) by [[Peter Townend (editor)|Peter Townend]].<ref>{{cite news|date=18 July 2001|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1334368/Peter-Townsend.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140706185732/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1334368/Peter-Townsend.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=6 July 2014|title=Obituary: Peter Townend|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|access-date=14 August 2012}}</ref> However, the withdrawal of royal patronage made these occasions decreasingly significant, and scarcely distinguishable from any other part of the social season.<ref>The semi-autobiographical novel ''Past Imperfect'' (2008) by Julian Fellowes is an informative description of participating in 'The Season' in these final years compared to its height.</ref> The last [[Queen Charlotte's Ball]] under Elizabeth II was in 1976.<ref name="extra" /> It has since been revived under the patronage of the [[Duke of Somerset]]; debutantes bow to the Queen Charlotte's birthday cake. The monarchy took a more populist approach, emphasizing the Victorian tradition of [[garden parties]], to which Elizabeth invited people from all backgrounds.<ref name="extra" />