In Downton abbey and a lot of other literature about British society life being presented to the King/Queen is a right of passage for the aristocracy and for the new vo riche to establish themselves.
What are the requirements to be presented to the Queen? Surely I can’t just walk up to Buckingham palace and tell them I want to meet the Queen and make it happen that way or everyone would do it. Is there some monetary requirement, or is it just knowing the right people?
Check out the concept of the debutante. Formal presentation to Court was abolished by QEII in 1958.
When I was presented to the queen (1973), there was a receiving line set up on the lawn of some suitable mansion, and members of the news media were invited, along with other appropriate dignitaries.
It used to be that any lady who had been presented could sponsor other ladies for presentation. The procedure was that the sponsor would write to the Lord Chamberlain’s office giving the name of the prospective presentee and requesting tickets to a drawing Room. A Drawing Room was a reception held in the afternoon. The lady being presented was required to wear a white low-cut evening dress with a train and three ostrich feathers in her hair and to carry a bouquet.
The sponsors were usually ladies of standing in society who were presenting their own daughters. Presentations, however, were not only for debutantes; grown women could be presented as well. Some ladies of standing who had lost their fortunes hired themselves out; for a fee they would instruct arrivistes in the intricate etiquette involved and sponsor them.
The system was abused as, not infrequently, women of less than sterling reputation bought themselves presentations. The system was ended in the late 1950’s. Princess
Margaret noted that it had be stopped because all sorts of loose women were getting in.
Men could also be presented to a King at an afternoon reception called a levée. An amusing bit of minutiae is that in 18th-century France and England, only gentlemen who had been presented were allowed to wear high-heeled shoes with red soles. The system for presenting a man was the same as for a woman; a gentleman who had already been presented could present another man by requesting tickets to a levée by writing to the Lord Chamberlain.
I believe the term’s nouveau riche.
Thanks for the explanations.
Just to clarify, could a man be presented to only a king? Or could he also be presented to a queen?
And was the man being presented required to wear a white low-cut evening dress with a train and three ostrich feathers in his hair and to carry a bouquet?
Heh. I hope Margaret noted that with a drink in one hand, a cigarette in the other, a very, very raised eyebrow and a side-glance to camera.
Men and women were both presented to the monarch of the day, regardless of the monarch’s gender.
Sadly, no.