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The Last Debutantes
Until Jun 1 2009
Kensington Palace, The Broadwalk, Kensington Gardens, London, W8 4PX
By Natasha Polyviou

Posted: Mon Jun 2
Until 1958, the daughters of aristocratic families had a ‘coming out’ into society and the marriage market, which involved a ceremonious presentation before the Queen. This exhibition (which is a good chance to tick Kensington Palace off your list of London things to do) gathers couture dresses by Balmain and Dior and other items lent by debs, and juxtaposes them with reminiscences from people who were teenagers in the final year of this high-society tradition.

The debutantes’ coming out marked the start of The Season – the annual period of extravagant social and charity events for the upper classes, during which debs would be appraised for marriage potential. Meticulous and painstaking preparation was required for the ceremony, including learning the art of the correct way to curtsey, which will be demonstrated to visitors by a former debutante from the Vacani School of Dancing.
Young ladies were required to wear formal afternoon dresses, usually made of silk, as well as long gloves, which etiquette dictated had to be worn throughout evening events – even while dancing and eating (although they were folded back for the latter).

The balance of the sexes was maintained by the ‘debs’ delights’ – gentlemen bachelors who had been approved to partner the women on their soirées. It was common for debs’ delights to be older and to have attended previous seasons with other debs. The press of the day was possessed of an insatiable appetite for the whirl of parties and avidly followed the debs’ fortunes; in much the same way they salivate over moneyed candy-floss creatures like Paris Hilton these days.

A seismic shift in attitudes and culture in the post-war years led Queen Elizabeth II to abolish the aristocratic tradition of the debutantes in 1958. The exhibition looks to be an intoxicating time-machine immersion into their rarefied, opulent universe.

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Details
Kensington Palace, The Broadwalk, Kensington Gardens, London, W8 4PX
, UK

Geo: 51.504895, -0.188106
0870 751 5170 (recorded info); 0870 751 5180 (advance tickets)
Category: Museums & Attractions
Times: Mar-Oct daily 10am-6pm; Nov-Feb daily 10am-5pm; last adm one hour before closing
Tube: High Street Kensington/Notting Hill Gate