How to be a Debutante in Queen Victoria's Royal Court | Victorian Era Presentation Prep

Поділитися
Вставка
  • Опубліковано 1 лют 2025

КОМЕНТАРІ • 629

  • @laurelanne5071
    @laurelanne5071 3 роки тому +800

    As exhausting as it sounds being presented, I think it would be more exhausting to be the queen! At least as a debutante, you're shuffled through the rooms, you'd probably remember it as a blur, but the queen has to stand in the same spot for hours, and four times a year!

    • @chunellemariavictoriaespan8752
      @chunellemariavictoriaespan8752 3 роки тому +43

      Yeah... A bore... I wonder what she thinks as this happens? Judging in her mind 😂??

    • @ИмяФамилия-ф2д8ш
      @ИмяФамилия-ф2д8ш 3 роки тому +82

      @@chunellemariavictoriaespan8752 there is prob fashion evaluation going on in her head. Or trying to remember their names. Or thinking about plans for a week.

    • @bajabl
      @bajabl 3 роки тому

      Y’all are so lazy lmao

    • @Andianco
      @Andianco 2 роки тому +5

      I bet that's the real reason she left after an hour.

    • @ladymcbeath
      @ladymcbeath 2 роки тому +11

      Queen Elizabeth does this to this day. These women were raised to this duty, but still, four times a year for 75 years! And they had to remember all the names. No wonder they run off to a Scottish castle with the horses and dogs for months every year!

  • @haekathe3841
    @haekathe3841 3 роки тому +1290

    If you frequently rode horses your lower leg muscles would be strong enough for a curtsy :)

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +208

      😂 It’s so true! I need to be more like Fanny from Mansfield Park.

    • @laulutar
      @laulutar 3 роки тому +151

      Also, dancing is really good to strengthen the muscles in your ankles and calves. If I had been presented around the age of 18-22, I would have been able to do a court curtsy without any difficulty, as I still had a dancer's muscle strength in my legs.

    • @evelynwilson1566
      @evelynwilson1566 3 роки тому +59

      I think dancing and horse riding are very good for core strength and posture, which would be very good for bowing down and rising up. I'm not sure if they did the rising trot when using side saddle, as a rider using an english saddle does. If they did, I believe it's very good for core strength as they are basically lifting themselves out of the saddle in time with the the horse's rhythm. When I was a kid in Scotland, we didn't even have proms to dress up for. There might be a school dance from time to time but it was nothing fancy - but now the teenagers and parents go crazy over proms and hire stretch limousines to take the girls to the dance!!!!

    • @laurelanne5071
      @laurelanne5071 3 роки тому +12

      @@evelynwilson1566 I've never ridden side saddle (sat in one though!) but I've heard you use your legs a lot grip the pommels. I think I've heard modern riders say they do a kind of rising trot in it, but most period side saddle guides make it seem like ladies went straight from walk to canter

    • @brianne8258
      @brianne8258 3 роки тому +11

      Or ballet. I did wonder what the difference was between a ballet and a court curtsy.

  • @magicspell1780
    @magicspell1780 3 роки тому +676

    In Australia we still have debutant balls. The girls still have to wear white and wear gloves and were presented to a local political figure. It was very fun to have family and freinds come and have a very pretty dress. The dance lessons were cool too.

    • @sunygcswan
      @sunygcswan 3 роки тому +12

      ^ Same, now I also want to go to Australia!

    • @chunellemariavictoriaespan8752
      @chunellemariavictoriaespan8752 3 роки тому +8

      ... Seriously???? Sugoi nne!!!

    • @fonsineknshr
      @fonsineknshr 3 роки тому +5

      Do you have to do all the traditional debutante stuff there?

    • @D1SZZ
      @D1SZZ 3 роки тому +18

      We have those?
      It may just be specific to the area, cuz I never knew we had those in Australia

    • @arthel8026
      @arthel8026 3 роки тому +44

      @Xion Cinnamon Roll Princess they have them in America too! They’re mainly held by country clubs and some bigger churches, especially in the south where I live. It’s bizarre but it looks super fun! Like a fancy prom where all the girls look like brides.

  • @Jen321able
    @Jen321able 3 роки тому +629

    I know I'm not being presented at court but the whole process gave me anxiety lol. I was sitting here feeling so nervous. I would fall over doing all those curtsies.

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +56

      It would be such an anxious moment!!!

    • @elizabethclaiborne6461
      @elizabethclaiborne6461 3 роки тому +24

      You’d be fine. You do a lot of practice. Also, 19th century women grew up curtsying, it was a familiar custom for them.

    • @dorcasmalahlela2805
      @dorcasmalahlela2805 3 роки тому +1

      Aang would have removed the bending ability of your knees.

  • @EpicTale
    @EpicTale 2 роки тому +43

    I'm a housewife cleaning my kitchen and you just took me on an emotional journey 😄 That was awesome! So fun, thank you!

  • @noreingravity
    @noreingravity 3 роки тому +132

    I really DID feel like the debutan, and when you ask "are you ready?"
    I screamed "OMG NO IM NOT"

  • @qienna6677
    @qienna6677 3 роки тому +257

    Being a Victorian lady sounds exhausting in general.

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +19

      It really does. 😂

    • @kiarona.
      @kiarona. 3 роки тому +8

      No wonder they fainted all the time!

    • @Kazza_8240
      @Kazza_8240 3 роки тому +3

      @@kiarona. tiredness + tight corsets = smelling salts lol

  • @joyjones8231
    @joyjones8231 3 роки тому +255

    Wait a min, wait a min... So the first Instagram was a Victorian street lined with spectators looking at all the pretty people doing a clout? great scott, the more things change, the more they stay the same.

    • @shelinkzelda
      @shelinkzelda 4 місяці тому +1

      In medieval times it was fairly normal to go into the palace and watch the royal family and power jockeys eat dinner under the banner of state!

  • @Specialkayseitz
    @Specialkayseitz 3 роки тому +245

    I was a Southern Debutante in high school. While the implications have changed-it’s more of a way to recognize seniors before they graduate, a number of the general dress rules still remain. White dresses with full ball gown skirts and petticoats (the bigger the better), gloves, a single stem rose in hand, though instead of feather in our hair, we wore tiaras with gemstones signifying our rank within the organization. We did a bow similar to the court curtesy, but takes you even lower! You sweep your right leg around from the front to the back to “fluff” out the skirt, and then slide into a “z sit” one leg in front, one in back, then full bow to basically touching the floor with your face! Then to finally hold onto your escort’s hand for dear life as you try to reverse yourself and get off the floor showing as little effort as possible! We spent months in classes solely dedicated to learning this bow.

    • @genxx2724
      @genxx2724 3 роки тому +7

      How do they get boys to participate?

    • @makennashuter6606
      @makennashuter6606 3 роки тому +24

      Just imagining that made my booty cheeks ache and exhausted

    • @Specialkayseitz
      @Specialkayseitz 3 роки тому +21

      @@genxx2724 There was a separate connected program for guys called Honor Guard. It was a similar service based organization, they would join us when we ushered at the local symphony concerts and other service projects, and the senior guys were presented at the same ball we were (though no bow requirements lol).

    • @Specialkayseitz
      @Specialkayseitz 3 роки тому +16

      @@makennashuter6606 I danced all through high school on our school's drill team (jump splits and all that jazz) and it still was a killer workout. Thankfully the skirt concealed any muscle shaking 😂

    • @vespertine2326
      @vespertine2326 3 роки тому +3

      @@genxx2724 The boys were interested in us, in my experience, nearly 20 years ago now.

  • @lisa60932
    @lisa60932 3 роки тому +44

    I appreciate your cat taking it on themselves to stand in for the Queen

    • @Kazza_8240
      @Kazza_8240 3 роки тому +5

      It'll be expecting curtseys regularly now 😂

  • @WayToVibe
    @WayToVibe 3 роки тому +163

    "Get a note from your doctor..." ... in order to yeet the rules out the window when being presented to Her Royal Majesty, The Queen. I wonder who threw a big enough fit to get "Doc said no!" updated to the official rule book!

    • @kamiladjellal345
      @kamiladjellal345 3 роки тому +16

      Her majesty the queen* , Royal highness is for princes and princesses and royal dukes

    • @WayToVibe
      @WayToVibe 3 роки тому +8

      @@kamiladjellal345 My mistake, it won't happen again! lol

    • @gothempress
      @gothempress 3 роки тому +5

      @@WayToVibe Her Royal Majesty is another honorific that is commonly used.

    • @RowanWarren78
      @RowanWarren78 3 роки тому +3

      Yeah, I'm not super modest, but I'm going to need a three quarter sleeve. I'm not chubby necessarily, just hate to feel exposed. LoL, I'd prefer an invisibility cloak.

    • @paulwillock3189
      @paulwillock3189 2 роки тому +1

      And if you wanted to go to the bathroom you would be out of luck , queen Victoria would not allow them in the palace

  • @LilytheFrilly
    @LilytheFrilly 3 роки тому +114

    Incidentally curtsying to your cat is purrfect timing

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +17

      They are the royalty of this household. 👑🐈‍⬛😂

  • @laurenking5080
    @laurenking5080 3 роки тому +135

    I was part of a group that served as ambassadors for my city when I was a senior in high school. Part of the deal was wearing giant floofy antebellum dresses with hoop skirts, and we had to do full curtsies when we were acknowledged at any event we attended. We even had a couple of training sessions to get used to the weight!

  • @belakovacs708
    @belakovacs708 3 роки тому +115

    I wonder if there was music being played in the background, or total silence (only knees popping/creaking). Also: the poor queen! This must have been so tedious for her!

  • @LK-se2ju
    @LK-se2ju 4 роки тому +652

    Those dresses sound suspiciously like wedding gowns.

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  4 роки тому +288

      They do! In one of the sources I was reading a Lady told a girl about to be presented that her presentation dress was even MORE important than a wedding dress.

    • @LK-se2ju
      @LK-se2ju 4 роки тому +84

      @@EllieDashwood Oh my lord!!! I keep thinking if you are presented 3 times (debut, postnuptial, gained title) that’s a lot of dresses.... and fabric. Never mind if you become a presenter

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  4 роки тому +85

      @@LK-se2ju Right! I guess it gives you multiple chances to get the dress of your dreams? Your many different dreams 😂

    • @JB-vd8bi
      @JB-vd8bi 3 роки тому +94

      Later on in the Victorian era, woman would have their Deb dress altered to be their wedding gown. Modern wedding dresses are a direct descendant of Deb dresses

    • @zuzkapavlovicova2779
      @zuzkapavlovicova2779 3 роки тому +24

      Dresses at the time were highly alterable, so I don't think they would need to buy a new dress every time they were presented. They were also always the same color (white), so finding the same fabric wouldn't be that difficult either. Even if the fashionable silluette changed every 5-10 years, you wouldn't have to spend a fortune on these dresses you wear extremly rarely for about 5 hours. I am not saying tho, that they really did it like this, just saying that even the less wealthy could afford it.

  • @aprildriesslein5034
    @aprildriesslein5034 3 роки тому +42

    Weirdly enough, there is a tradition very like this in San Antonio, Texas, USA. During Fiesta -- a several weeks long period with lots fairs, music, etc., there is a Fiesta Princess ceremony. The daughters of the richest families in town get super-ornate dresses with long trains, which are supposed to have a theme of whichever "clan" the family is in (peacock, swan, etc.). The girls are announced, come on stage to perform an elaborate curtsey, and then display themselves on low seats for the remainder of the ceremony, sitting stock-still and smiling the whole time. (Girls have been known to faint or vomit at this time.) Then they go to some sort of ball. A funny thing is that even though they spent roughly the cost of a new car on these gowns (families have been known to mortgage their houses to pay for them), they obviously have no use for them afterwards. There is a big display of them in the nearby Institute of Texan Cultures, but the museum has so many of them that they basically won't accept them anymore. I suppose the tradition derived from these court presentations.

  • @vanessadalpiaz6423
    @vanessadalpiaz6423 3 роки тому +95

    Gets a doctors note to wear a high neckline to the debutant presentation like a kid trying to get outta PE

  • @yespls6260
    @yespls6260 3 роки тому +248

    It's crazy how many rules there were around things such as small details on the dress, accessories, etc. Definitely wasn't a culture big on individuality haha

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +17

      😂😂😂 That’s so true.

    • @Irunwithscissors63
      @Irunwithscissors63 Рік тому +1

      Really? So in todays society would you turn up to a wedding in jeans and T-shirt?
      Basic dress rules are still in effect today. And people still follow fashion.
      Of course you can be individual. But just like anywhere there’s a dress code.

    • @Mary-hx9iu
      @Mary-hx9iu Рік тому

      ​@@Irunwithscissors63 A co-worker got married and another co-worker attended the wedding in shorts and a tank top

    • @Irunwithscissors63
      @Irunwithscissors63 Рік тому +2

      @@Mary-hx9iu absolutely no respect for themselves or the bridal party.

  • @FurikoMaru
    @FurikoMaru 3 роки тому +108

    This may be unkind, but the thought occurs that this endless chain of presentations may have had less to do with prestige and more to do with making sure the Queen's memory got a jog every now and then so she didn't end up pulling a grandma and mixing all these girls up.

    • @malinasworld
      @malinasworld 3 роки тому +28

      No way would anyone remember those hundreds of girls and their men.

    • @Kazza_8240
      @Kazza_8240 3 роки тому +5

      Why would she have to? They're announced every time after all.

    • @dyllanfreiheit6330
      @dyllanfreiheit6330 8 місяців тому +1

      It makes sense. Here in China during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), there is a ceremony called the "consort choosing", which is similar to the whole debutante thing. Every 3 years, girls aging 13-18 from Manchu beaureaucrat families would be ordered to dress up and gather at court for the emperor to choose new consorts from them. But this ceremony serves more purpose than satisfying his majesty's lust. By viewing the girls, the emporor would gather data from them - How many young girls are there? Are they binding their feets?(feetbinding was a huge fashion trend back then, but the emperors forbade Manchu ladies from doing it) Are their gowns luxurious or plain? By analyzing these data, the emperor was able to learn more of his Manchu subjects' lives and rule accordingly. Same for the debutante presentations, where the main purpose of the ceremony is hidden.

  • @carlairving
    @carlairving 3 роки тому +57

    You can't mention that all our circle would share presentation's horror story they heard or witness without sharing some examples! We need a gossiping video on presentation gone wrong :D

    • @kiarona.
      @kiarona. 3 роки тому +8

      Yes! I'd love to hear of some debutante disasters!

    • @Kazza_8240
      @Kazza_8240 3 роки тому +6

      I was itching to hear some bad stories lol

    • @zesazum
      @zesazum Рік тому +3

      Oh yes! I couldn't quite imagine what could go wrong accept falling

    • @EmeraldsFire
      @EmeraldsFire Рік тому +4

      Flowers was holding lost their petals, the symbolism of which sparks an investigation of how reputable the girl actually was?
      Viel fell off so she would never be faithful?
      Young prince's dog inexplicably got loose and tore holes in her gown? 😱
      😂

  • @cindycaricos3379
    @cindycaricos3379 4 роки тому +731

    So all these women were kissing the queens hand. All I can think of right now...That's not corona-proof! lol!

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  4 роки тому +68

      Yes!!! I kept thinking the same thing!!!

    • @alfriedjohnsson5887
      @alfriedjohnsson5887 3 роки тому +9

      The ladiesin those era wear gloves as part of their evening dresses.

    • @DavidBrowningBYD
      @DavidBrowningBYD 3 роки тому +7

      Just lie back (or in this case curtsy) and think of England, dear!

    • @brianne8258
      @brianne8258 3 роки тому +7

      Or any other disease and they had only just begun to figure out bacterial theory, so they didn't wash hands (or much of anything else) very often. 😓

    • @pairoleggs
      @pairoleggs 3 роки тому +16

      back then it would've been cholera typhoid tuberculosis scarlet fever... yeah there were a lot of diseases back then lol. but hey if you had tuberculosis you would be the prettiest girl at the party

  • @Wika-jt1rg
    @Wika-jt1rg 3 роки тому +67

    Ah yes, I was just thinking what would I do if I would accidentally time travel. That would be embarrasing to not know how to present myself to the Queen. Thank you for this video :D

    • @ameliecarre4783
      @ameliecarre4783 3 роки тому +18

      If I time traveled I'd likely find myself in the position of the maid who helps the fancy girl prepare for a court presentation.

    • @sapphoculloden5215
      @sapphoculloden5215 3 роки тому

      Step 1) find a presenter ...

  • @TheDesktophippie
    @TheDesktophippie 3 роки тому +102

    Thank you for this video. Your comment about women being able to have higher necklines and lower sleeves with a note from their doctor got me thinking. Are there any accounts of young women with physical disabilities or infirmities being presented, and how that was handled? I presume there must have been incredibly eligible wealthy young women who happened to be paraplegic, especially in an age where polio was still very much a common disease. Was any young woman incapable of a curtsy simply excluded from this event?

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +44

      I’ve never came across any information on that in my research but that is an excellent question!

    • @maddythinks
      @maddythinks 3 роки тому +28

      My guess is that if someone was infirm or differently abled wouldn't be presented as they'd not be thought of as 'good wife' material

    • @bookmouse2719
      @bookmouse2719 3 роки тому +26

      Lady Catherine De Bourg's daughter had not been presented at court.

    • @kiarona.
      @kiarona. 3 роки тому +34

      Going by Pride and Prejudice, Lady Catherine de Bourg's daughter was "frail" and had "delicate health", so she was unable to be presented at court. I'm assuming that if young women ended up with some sort of disability, they would probably unfortunately be excluded from society and unable to present at any sort of function like this

    • @emilybarclay8831
      @emilybarclay8831 2 роки тому +9

      People with noticeable physical disabilities would have been hidden away and basically excluded from society unless it was a man of high status who had a non-‘offensive’ injury from war or something

  • @bonniehogancamp2991
    @bonniehogancamp2991 3 роки тому +51

    Well all I can say is, thank God Queen Elizabeth 2 had the common sense to stop the madness! LOL! I happen to think a lot of her majesty for being a practical person.

  • @sarahdiana8934
    @sarahdiana8934 10 місяців тому +1

    You have a wonderful gift-- watching this I felt like I I was in Queen Victoria's time going through my presentation. Thank you for bringing history to life and not imposing contemporary expectations and values upon the past.

  • @TJAllenwood
    @TJAllenwood 4 роки тому +81

    Wonderful and very detailed explanation. I do remember the scene from Downton Abbey and I was very impressed by the importance of the event.
    I almost wish they continued this tradition today but rather than marking a young woman’s entrance into society and the marriage market, it would be something more of highlighting young women’s achievements and accomplishments.

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  4 роки тому +25

      That would be a cool way to highlight female achievement!

    • @nerdgirl7363
      @nerdgirl7363 3 роки тому +6

      That's such a cool idea, I totally wish they would do that, kind of like how some high achievements get an invitation to the white house to meet the president

    • @rachelbrenner4092
      @rachelbrenner4092 3 роки тому +6

      Well there are still debutante balls still in the U.S. .

    • @laurenking5080
      @laurenking5080 3 роки тому +3

      Some parts of society still do a presentation when young women are college age.

    • @rachelbrenner4092
      @rachelbrenner4092 3 роки тому +6

      In the U.S. most girls debut with their Sweet 16 party , but in Southern California, quinceras ( A Mexican-American Girl )look like a wedding and a prom all in one , it eclipses the former. I think for most American kids. Proms are the closest we 'll get to debutante balls.

  • @mariainescidmartinez4521
    @mariainescidmartinez4521 3 роки тому +11

    Hola, no sé si sea la única persona que comenté en español pero, de verdad me encantó tu vídeo, con los subtítulos, la información y cómo lo explicas TODO. Me interesó mucho el tema, incluso siento que sería como una fiesta de 15 años (tengo 14 y me siento muy nerviosa porque todavía no he pasado por eso), igualmente que te publiquen en el periódico yo sí me desmayo. En fin, ME ENCANTÓ TU VIDEO, sigue subiendo videos, te apoyo suscribiéndome y dando like ❤️

  • @hbeachley
    @hbeachley 3 роки тому +4

    Haha. The dichotomy of this video is just gorgeous. Ms. Dashwood explaining debuting into Victorian society and UPS comes to the door.

  • @sugarapplesweet
    @sugarapplesweet 3 роки тому +6

    Watching for inspiration for what I'm writing, BUT I was really taken with the drawings of the ladies at court. They really do all look like they're at a wedding, where everyone is a bride! I understand that Queen Victoria made the white wedding dress the staple that it is today. I wonder if she was inspired by the court dresses or if it was the other way around?
    The long train, the veils, the flowers... all what we expect from the "ideal" modern wedding. (Which mine was very much not. lol)

  • @akatosh2795
    @akatosh2795 3 роки тому +81

    Could you do a video on the male presentation "Levee"? It's the first I have heard of such a thing.

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +32

      That's a good idea for a video! I'll note that down!

    • @mirandak7242
      @mirandak7242 3 роки тому +5

      I second this!

  • @PinkLilyGarden
    @PinkLilyGarden 4 роки тому +172

    I wish I was a debutante. Then people would know I exist 😅

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  4 роки тому +85

      Queen Victoria would be privileged to know you exist! Just like all of us here on this channel are. 😊

    • @TJAllenwood
      @TJAllenwood 4 роки тому +20

      Of course you exist “I think therefore I am“ René Descartes.

    • @dd-kapibara1070
      @dd-kapibara1070 3 роки тому +8

      I have participated in a few debutante balls as part of the musical entertainment in one of the drawing/waiting rooms... can't say I didn't want to be the one wearing the pretty dress and being oohed and ahhed at 🥲

    • @chunellemariavictoriaespan8752
      @chunellemariavictoriaespan8752 3 роки тому +2

      Yeah, and when you make a minor mistake, everyone will be talking about it 😂!

  • @chiekamijo5452
    @chiekamijo5452 7 місяців тому +2

    I remember seeing a video of Princess Anne did a court curtsy when meeting the king and queen of denmark while looking up at the king. It is so graceful and formal! I think i would be fine being presented to the queen but i don't think i can walk backwards out of the room as Chinese court would let you walk backwards for a foot or so from where you stood then you can turn around and leave getting on your way.

  • @kleocatra9675
    @kleocatra9675 3 роки тому +28

    There is a video of Princess Anne doing a court courtesy. Now I understand why she was so low to ground.

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +10

      She must have thighs of steel! 😂

  • @mayamellissa
    @mayamellissa 3 роки тому +109

    I'm listening to you, Ellie, but I'm watching your cat.

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +21

      😂😂😂 I did the same thing when editing this video.

  • @MultiTaylorswift1234
    @MultiTaylorswift1234 3 роки тому +12

    This is perfect for my historical romance novel. Now have so much information to make it more accurate

  • @solinasora4250
    @solinasora4250 3 роки тому +7

    This is so much amazing information for us prepped for sudden accidental time travel to the past! Thank you :)

  • @caspence56
    @caspence56 3 роки тому +31

    Wow, I can see why Queen Elizabeth abolished this tradition. It was probably pure hell for the Queen, and a nerve-wracking day for those being presented.

    • @desertdaisymarie6951
      @desertdaisymarie6951 2 роки тому +5

      There was an episode of The Crown that addressed it, one of those things that addressed that was the ending of this.. Marionettes??

  • @a35362
    @a35362 3 роки тому +24

    2:40 I want you to answer the door in your pearls and get your package. Scare the heck outta the FedEx guy!

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +1

      Then he’d never bring me packages again! 😂😂😂

    • @heritagehuntress9553
      @heritagehuntress9553 3 роки тому +4

      @@EllieDashwood I don't know about that... I once went to Home Depot on my way to a dance--dressed up in a nice dress, pearls, etc, and received the best service I've ever had!

  • @charlie2.048
    @charlie2.048 Рік тому +16

    Me, a 21st-century man, watching intently in case I ever need to know how to be a Victorian debutante.

    • @parthianarrow5874
      @parthianarrow5874 Місяць тому +1

      "Help! I was reborn as a Victorian debutante!" could be a plot for an anime.

  • @Tariphilip
    @Tariphilip 3 роки тому +51

    Okay, I'm laying on my bed and this whole affair is making me nervoussss. Don't think i would've survived this.

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +4

      It does sound slightly terrifying! 😳

    • @Tariphilip
      @Tariphilip 3 роки тому +4

      @@EllieDashwood Very 😂 I actually tried to do the court courtesy several times. I am prerty sure I would have tripped into a royal 🤣🤣🤣

    • @gabbynegron2867
      @gabbynegron2867 3 роки тому +2

      Same I imagined myself doing this and I was like, idk if I could be brave enough lol

  • @nancyanderson2032
    @nancyanderson2032 3 роки тому +2

    your cat w/the big green eyes are killing me lol!!

  • @chibi-chan389
    @chibi-chan389 3 роки тому +68

    As someone raised by southern belles I think I could nail the presentation. As a child I lived in fear of being rude and was always the model child when out at fancy restaurants, plus my mom dressed me up like a american girl doll.
    But as someone who's read up on queen victoria I would probably be arrested for mouthing off to the queen about her being a bad mommy, the hypocrisy of a absolute female ruler being against woman's rights, working conditions, and imperialism. I'd probably be executed for it but god would it be one hell of a way to go.

  • @babiegirl526
    @babiegirl526 3 роки тому +6

    16:55 that dress is so pretty oh my gooddd

  • @GilTheDragon
    @GilTheDragon 3 роки тому +18

    This was fascinating. though talk of leg exercise & doctor's notes make me curious:
    what if someone couldn't curtsy or required use of a wheelchair or cane to walk

    • @annieinwonderland
      @annieinwonderland 3 роки тому +8

      If you where disabled the place to be was a nice "sanatorium"

    • @ladyp.8863
      @ladyp.8863 2 роки тому +1

      It wouldn't even be a consideration, not only would you have never even be considered for presentation, you'd have probably have been hidden away from everyone, either kept at home, sent to the country, or sent to a Santorum and in all cases, forgotten.

  • @MizzMDN11
    @MizzMDN11 3 роки тому +46

    Preparing for when I'm Isekai'd 😌

  • @Tediruxevelt
    @Tediruxevelt 3 роки тому +1

    I get stoned and listen to these. You’re my new favorite UA-cam channel. Thank you. 💜

  • @NatalieSteinacher
    @NatalieSteinacher 3 роки тому +6

    You should do a series on the debacles at the presentations. Like presentations that went horribly wrong.

  • @jacquelyndeleon1041
    @jacquelyndeleon1041 Рік тому +2

    Hello Ellie, I really love these types of videos. If possible, I would love it if you could make more. Please and Thank You.

  • @elizabethclaiborne6461
    @elizabethclaiborne6461 3 роки тому +22

    I made my debut and had to court curtsy all the time, at winter presentations and then through Carnival. My mom showed me how, it wasn’t that big a deal. Train management and sceptering gets taught by some friend of your mothers. I know the pecking order in the US, coming out in a foreign country could get rough…

  •  3 роки тому +3

    Your cat was representing the Queen here. :D And curtesy to your cat. :). How nice. Your videos are lovely, Lady Dashwood. :D

  • @O-Demi
    @O-Demi 11 місяців тому

    This video proves that you are a time traveller indeed! :D You paint the picture and convey the emotions of the event very accurately!

  • @claucuellar9538
    @claucuellar9538 3 роки тому +12

    I LOVE your videos, love literature, love history, specially regency times. That said, have you considered making a video including your thoughts about Bridgerton?

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +4

      Yay! I'm so glad you're enjoying the videos! 😃 As for Bridgerton, my main thought is I haven't seen it. 😂 It's not really my thing. But it's cool that it's generated such an interest in the Regency era!

    • @claucuellar9538
      @claucuellar9538 3 роки тому +1

      @@EllieDashwood Oh that's too bad 😅 I think you would really enjoy it cause it pretty much portrais the season and all debutants in the process. Although I've loved Pride & Prejudice since way before I heard about Bridgerton (like a decade or so) I just didn't quite understood everything the way I do now thanks to your videos (which I have been binge watching btw). Thank you so much for sharing this stuff, my family thinks I'm just weird and old fashioned, I now feel there are more people like me ❤

  • @gustavoboscardin9351
    @gustavoboscardin9351 Рік тому +2

    In the Portuguese and then Brazilian empire this ceremony was known as "Beija-Mão" (hand kissing) and the princess of Austria, then becoming empress of Brazil, even made sure to actually do this ceremony as a mean to show how she had integrated to the Portuguese/Brazilian culture

  • @Alex-sv6wy
    @Alex-sv6wy 3 роки тому +5

    Highly recommend The Season: A Social History of the Debutante by Kristen Richardson for anyone interested in the history and evolution of being presented in society, plus modern coming out balls

  • @silentscreenvamp
    @silentscreenvamp 3 роки тому +19

    What it all comes down to is impeccable bladder control!

  • @taythemay4451
    @taythemay4451 3 роки тому +2

    I watched this before my first day of work today. I'm no longer nervous lol. It's much less stressful than meeting the Queen.

  • @cindilou7997
    @cindilou7997 2 роки тому +3

    Personally, I'm enthralled with the cat tree in the background! But seriously, great fun! Thank you Ellie Dashwood!

    • @cindilou7997
      @cindilou7997 2 роки тому

      OMG! Even better with the cat on it!! So sweet!

  • @ladyp.8863
    @ladyp.8863 2 роки тому +5

    QE II put a stop to this madness in the late 50's, the last debutante presentation being in March 1958 to be precise. She also put a stop to the 'court curtsey'. You may dip a bit of a curtsey or bow a bit of a nod, eyes lowered whilst shaking hands if you wish, but it is not a insisted upon requirement.
    There's still a shit tonne of other traditional etiquette forms, although the official website for the British Monarchy states "there are no obligatory codes of behaviour when meeting the Queen or a member of the Royal Family". It hastens to add: "Many people wish to observe the traditional forms." The choice is yours. But I suspect this is a allowance made for the great unwashed masses 'wot don't know no different, in'it.' (me included!)
    But I'm sure members of the peerage would be expected to 'know better' and observe the correct etiquette. Or risk getting get battered senseless by mummsy when they got home!
    A few examples
    Don't speak to her unless spoken to directly and then small talk only,
    No touching unless she offers a handshake,
    Never turn your back, it's bad manners
    Don't leave until she does
    Don't eat until she does
    Don't sit until she does
    Unofficial photography is a big no. Don't be trying for a selfie!
    But she's a good egg and you won't be banished or sent to the dungeon if you get it wrong, but she doesn't suffer fools, she will tell you if you get it wrong.
    Apparently at a dinner, Lewis Hamilton don't know about the 'right then left' conversational etiquette and spoke to her in the wrong direction and was told (by her) "No, you speak that way first and I'll speak this way and then I'll come back to you."
    I'd recommend researching Debretts for accuracy

  • @hjpngmw
    @hjpngmw 3 роки тому +18

    After ruining my knees playing kickball, softball, and soccer in middle school (I was the only person high schooler in my class with stiff joints in cold weather), I can see one or both or my knees giving way during the curtsey. I can definitely hear my knees going "pop!" at just the wrong moment. I also suspect I would have tripped over the train. SO, I would have begged my parents to forget to have me presented. If you've ever seen the film "The Reluctant Debutante," it takes place just after Queen Elizabeth stopped presentations because, as one character said, she (the Queen) says it's "out of date."

  • @annybear3
    @annybear3 2 роки тому +1

    So I ran into your video on Georgian debutants, and was super entertained, and was ready to subscribe at the end. Then your cat made an appearance, and I was like, yup, sub + bell. Now this is the second of your videos (as a card after the first video) and here I am loving it and OMG your cat. Maybe cause I'm watching on 1.5 speed, but yeah. I can't get over your cat, and you probably have a new sub for life. Also love the content! Super well done! Excited to go through all your vids and, mainly, see more cat. :D

  • @desertdaisymarie6951
    @desertdaisymarie6951 3 роки тому +19

    I made my debut, 22 years ago.. I didn't fall over during the curtsey bit 👍

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +8

      That’s awesome! Success!

    • @viviencockle2116
      @viviencockle2116 3 роки тому +1

      The Debutante season no longer exists in the U.K and hasn’t for decades, who do you curtesy to in the USA? Seems a bit odd to have to do so. The highlight of the Debs season was to be presented and court, and must back then in the wealthy classes.

    • @Well_Ill_Be_GodDangled
      @Well_Ill_Be_GodDangled 3 роки тому +7

      @@viviencockle2116 In the traditional South they still have cotillions (or coming out parties) in which you are presented as an eligible young lady to the community. This idea also gained traction amongst Evangelicals in the aughts. You needn't be rich, and it is more often than not a right of passage in which a teenage girl "comes out" as an upstanding and "pure" young Christian woman.

    • @viviencockle2116
      @viviencockle2116 3 роки тому +4

      @@Well_Ill_Be_GodDangled …..That is what the debutant’s ball was all about, the rich families introducing their daughters to the wealthiest in society for potential marriage prospects. Being present to the Queen was a must, a young girl from a wealthy family not presented was looked down on. Thankfully the Queen had ended such a snob ridden tradition.
      My Great Aunt was presented, she married an industrialist.

    • @sapphire74-74
      @sapphire74-74 3 роки тому +1

      @@Well_Ill_Be_GodDangled that's a nice idea. Sounds better than prom, with all its connotations.

  • @WillowWasp
    @WillowWasp 3 роки тому +2

    i love this. also YOUR CAT OMG

  • @Ellaburrr
    @Ellaburrr 3 роки тому +4

    I am glad I stumbled across your video. Entertaining and informative.

  • @nmariejenkins2041
    @nmariejenkins2041 4 роки тому +35

    So what would the sponsor do during this presentation? Does she curtsy as well? Or Just kinda hang out in the background?

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  4 роки тому +37

      So the sponsor would go in separately, possibly right before and crusty to pay her respects. She would be done and gone by the time the girl being presented would enter in that case.

    • @nobody8328
      @nobody8328 3 роки тому +19

      @@EllieDashwood irdk how I'm the first one to see that typo with all the other bookworms here... but "going in... crusty to pay her respects" produced a mental image that I don't have enough adjectives to describe. I'm pretty sure I've sprained a rib! 😂🤣😆😂😆🤣
      Please, please don't correct it!

    • @raraavis7782
      @raraavis7782 3 роки тому +4

      Little late, but: here's a scene from 'Downton Abbey', that shows a court presentation:
      ua-cam.com/video/k6QHklZkmdk/v-deo.html
      They do it slightly differently here, though...so I don't know, if it's completely historically correct.

  • @joliepitnick8204
    @joliepitnick8204 3 роки тому +2

    I listened instead of watched because I was fascinated by the adorable void demon in your background😍😸

  • @inkspot7000
    @inkspot7000 2 роки тому +2

    Have you done a video on the mens version of this, the levee? It would be very interesting to see what that involved!

  • @paulineerwin7685
    @paulineerwin7685 2 роки тому +1

    I LOVE this channel Ellie !!! This has only been the second video of yours , which I have watched and I am already addicted !!! 😁💖
    May I ask though , regarding either of the curtsies mentioned, is there a point where the presented one tilts or bows their head at all ??
    Perhaps you are meant to keep eye contact at all times ….. I don’t know 🤷‍♀️! Hoping to receive an answer and I thankyou in advance for your time !

  • @angelaf6042
    @angelaf6042 3 роки тому +8

    I'm sorry, I can't help but keep staring at the cat tree behind you. My cat Wesley would love it!!!

  • @zabchan
    @zabchan 2 роки тому +1

    i like how the use case study for this video topic is not writing a book or learning history or curiosity but "if you get isekai'd into a victorian-era multiverse/time paradox XDDDD

  • @laurenclark5734
    @laurenclark5734 3 роки тому +3

    I think your cat was expecting to have young ladies presented but later decided in a nap.
    Great informative video.

  • @miyuu1317
    @miyuu1317 3 роки тому +19

    Well... I had my Quinces and it was a blast, vastly prefer that over being a debutante lol

    • @helyannfb
      @helyannfb 3 роки тому +8

      It's historically the same thing, you are being presented to society as being marriageable.

  • @YT4Me57
    @YT4Me57 3 роки тому +4

    I'm an introvert who rejected the notion of a Sweet 16 party (my mom was so disappointed), didn't have 21st, 30th, 40th, 50th or 60th birthday celebrations either. I will attend and enjoy other people's celebrations but would faint at the idea of my own. When I was a child, my parents gave up on encouraging me to do so and so I had cake and icecream with my immediate family...and they didn't sing the birthday song. 😊👍🏾

  • @stephanieakre2824
    @stephanieakre2824 2 роки тому

    I really enjoy this video ! :) I practiced my curtsies with you, thank you for making so great content.

  • @kelligray1848
    @kelligray1848 3 роки тому +7

    Your cat in the background is adorable!

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +3

      Aw! Thank you! She’s standing in for Queen Victoria 👑😃😂

  • @bayonnealice7540
    @bayonnealice7540 3 роки тому +2

    I was once in a theatrical production as a debutant. The train which started at the shoulders was a royal pain!

  • @professorsogol5824
    @professorsogol5824 Рік тому +2

    So what do you do if, at some point in this long drawn out procedure, one finds oneself in need to respond to a call of nature? What facilities are available for this eventuality? Are there portaloos in which one may relieve oneself set up along the thoroughfare leading to the palace?

  • @shinigamikiro
    @shinigamikiro 3 роки тому +2

    I'm going to a bridgerton party in the spring so I'm studying this video so hard lol ♥️♥️

  • @photina78
    @photina78 Рік тому +3

    Princess Diana's great great grandma was a Victorian debutante, who attended hundreds of balls each season, but she didn't marry Spencer until age 29, even though she was very pretty. I wonder why it took so long for her to find a husband.

  • @dgcaz1
    @dgcaz1 3 роки тому +4

    Check out the curtsy that Princess Eugenie gave to Queen Elizabeth during her wedding. Elegant and gracefully done.

  • @mildlycornfield
    @mildlycornfield 3 роки тому +37

    I have creaky knees and wobbly ankles, so I would be the girl who fell in front of Queen Victoria lol

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +14

      Me too! We can fall together. 😂

    • @angelmaden1559
      @angelmaden1559 3 роки тому +9

      Thanks, I just got a mental picture of a whole line of young women going out domino style and taking a page out too as he was trying to wrangle a train. Just a pile of white silk, feathers and stray gloves. 🤣🤣🤣Nearly choked on my coffee. 🤣🤣🤣 Imagine the newspaper coverage the next day!

  • @EH23831
    @EH23831 3 роки тому +7

    I’m never gonna be a Victorian debutant, but I feel I need to watch this! 😂

  • @ayo_nik
    @ayo_nik 8 місяців тому +1

    i’ve always wondered, since this is obviously a coming of age and an announcement of girlhood to womanhood and putting yourself on the market. what did this process look like for men and boys? did they have anything even slightly similar? at what age did they start attending these same parties and events?

  • @jeanome
    @jeanome 2 роки тому

    I love your videos, I've learned to many things and it's improved my understanding of victorian and regency culture, manners and etiquette, thank you so much!! Just one suggestion, would it be possible to have fewer cuts in your videos? I find that I can only listen to your videos, it's hard to watch with so many cuts/edits, it gets very jarring, and I think you have to many cool things to offer and I'd prefer to watch them as well.

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  2 роки тому

      Aw, thanks so much! I'm so glad the videos have helped! I do feel like I have fewer cuts in my new videos as my editing style has evolved (this video is almost a year and a half old). However, I think using cuts is still an essential part of my editing style.

    • @jeanome
      @jeanome 2 роки тому

      @@EllieDashwood , thanks for the reply, I’m now subscribed and looking forward to more videos! (and my leg muscles no longer work after trying several Victoria-worthy curtsies)

  • @ajabell5058
    @ajabell5058 3 роки тому +2

    Adore your videos! Thank you much for them. History and etiquette are two of my favorite things. What does the presenter do? Would they follow the presentee (?) Or were they taken elsewhere to wait for the lady they were presenting?

  • @steffaniabercrombierealtor3343
    @steffaniabercrombierealtor3343 2 роки тому +1

    I would totally do it! Sounds glamorous and fancy 😉

  • @ohnonialler5867
    @ohnonialler5867 3 роки тому +11

    wait but how did the girl know when she was backing out of the room that she wasn't going to back into a wall or something? did the pages guide them back as they left the room or something?

  • @staceymccook5424
    @staceymccook5424 2 роки тому

    Hi. I’m not sure if you’ve covered these topics on your channel yet but have you made a video on Victorian girls education or the different styles of carriages popular in the regency and Victorian eras and also The hierarchy, roles and duties of domestic servants in Regency and Victorian households and The invention of and how to serve afternoon tea in the Victorian era? I love your channel.

  • @soulcstudios
    @soulcstudios 3 роки тому +8

    You're asking me to imagine both the train and the flowers and that's just a bit much ... :P
    Very interesting!

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +2

      😂 I was originally going to tie a big towel on my back but it just looked too awful. 😂

  • @rynics1
    @rynics1 3 роки тому +2

    im convinced that you are a rencarnated debutante cuz of how well you describe the ceramony, like you've been there yourself lol

  • @landibear6509
    @landibear6509 3 роки тому +2

    07:22 - Your cat almost became the reason why you would have to be "presented" with a new tv! 🤣🐱‍👤

  • @junimondify
    @junimondify 3 роки тому +11

    Just found your video, and in case time travel becomes a thing in the next few years: Ladies, never skip leg day!

    • @EllieDashwood
      @EllieDashwood  3 роки тому +3

      😂😂😂 So true! Leg day is essential! I was sore for like 3 days after shooting this video.

  • @danielzhou2972
    @danielzhou2972 3 роки тому +2

    My friend had a debutante ball a few months ago and I was so shocked like I did not know they were still a thing lmao

  • @peggin169
    @peggin169 3 роки тому +18

    Needing to go through that once sounds horrifying. Needing to go through it again when you get married sounds like a good reason to never get married!

  • @AndriaBieberDesigns
    @AndriaBieberDesigns 3 роки тому +2

    This is a great video! I didn’t know this. Really informative

  • @ladymaiden2308
    @ladymaiden2308 3 роки тому

    Well now I can rest easy knowing that if I happened to land back in time and must face a court presentation I at least have a good start. If nothing else, my thighs of had a good workout today. Thank you. 💜

  • @jolanas.5426
    @jolanas.5426 2 роки тому +1

    This was such an interesting video! Thank you! :)))
    We don't have a monarch in my country, we have a president. And I got a job which in my country you can receive only from the hands of our president, so I was "presented" to him in Prague castle and shook his hand. Too bad he's an old malicious guy who is an embarassment to his office. But I still enjoyed the experience of getting to those stately drawing rooms, getting my decree etc. And the topic of what to wear was a big deal. No ballroom gown and plumes in my hair, unfortunately. :)))

  • @blublub28272
    @blublub28272 3 роки тому +1

    I- that pics on my topic book and I just finished a booklet about the victorian era....o.o

  • @Richardsonprincess00
    @Richardsonprincess00 3 роки тому +8

    How about the upcoming video of being a debutante of the Edwardian era (King Edward's court)?

    • @Statuess
      @Statuess 3 роки тому +1

      Yes! I was thinking of going back to Georgian times, but an overall 'through the ages' video would be interesting!

    • @JB-vd8bi
      @JB-vd8bi 3 роки тому +3

      Wouldn't have changed much at all. The Edwardian era is remarkably short when compared to other eras/reigns.

    • @JB-vd8bi
      @JB-vd8bi 3 роки тому

      @@Statuess depends which George. The first would be too far back, maybe the second as well

  • @Neha98
    @Neha98 3 роки тому +4

    This might be a dumb question but what happens for like princesses? Do they need to be presented to their own mother? And if they do who presents them?

  • @ferosacalpe5958
    @ferosacalpe5958 3 роки тому +18

    3hrs waiting in the carriage..
    Me with small bladder : .......