Swan Bottom ladies culture clubBy Jeannette Batten
Twenty-five of us met for our annual outing on 16th October with a visit to Kensington Palace for an exhibition of ‘The last debutantes’.
We were introduced to the formalities of Court dressing with an amusing detail of how men dressing for Court in the 18th century would wear a suit comprising a coat, waistcoat, knee breeches and one pair of cotton stockings and a silk pair over – to hide hairy legs!
The exhibition continued with a stunning collection of Princess Diana’s dresses, including the famous black velvet dress worn when she danced with John Travolta at the White House in 1985.
‘The last debutantes’ gave us an insight into their glamorous world with a ‘how to’ guide to waltz, curtsy and walk gracefully, which provided some amusement. There was a collection of the various styles of ball gowns including those worn at the last debutante ball in 1958.
A guided tour of the state apartments, whose previous occupants included William and Mary, Queen Anne, Georges I and II and at her birth Princess Victoria (later Queen Victoria), ended our visit.
Our guide mentioned that the statue of William III, at the front of the building, was believed to be the inspiration for J M Barrie for his character of Captain Hook!
A good day, including a jolly lunch at the Orangery, was had by all – thanks go to Trish and Frankie for organising it.