The Victorian Marriage Season: Debutantes Partying Like It’s 1899

[Subtitulada en español] Discover how Victorian era aristocrats found mates in a summer marriage Season of swirling parties and picnic food. Because it really was all about debutantes partying like it's (literally) 1899.

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🕰 Watching Guide
0:00 The Victorian Marriage Season [Intro]
1:15 What was the Society Season?
1:36 Why did the Season exist?
2:57 Dressing for the London Season
4:12 Debutantes Being Presented at Court
4:41 What did the season look like?
5:22 Important Public Events
5:28 Ascot Horse Races and the Royal Enclosure
7:10 Regatta at Henley (Boat Races)
7:39 Eton vs. Harrow Cricket Match
8:03 The London Opera
8:41 Fashionable London and Hyde Park
9:04 Invitations to Balls, Parties and More
9:50 What does a Debutante's Day during the season look like?
9:53 Morning Horse Riding in Hyde Park (Rotten Row)
10:48 Shopping for Clothing
11:07 Breakfast Parties
11:25 Morning Drives in Hyde Park
11:50 Lunch Parties
11:58 Gentlemen and their Clubs
12:28 The Importance of Networking
13:46 Morning Calls
14:10 Polo Games
14:41 British Garden Parties
15:02 Fancier Drive in Hyde Park
15:24 Prayer Book Socializing
15:41 At Home (Tea Parties)
16:05 Dinner
16:34 Receptions
16:56 Opera and Theater
17:19 Victorian Era Balls and Dances
19:12 Debutante's Two Outcomes: Marriage or Not?
20:14 How Many Seasons did a Debutante get?
21:38 What Happened To The Season?

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#victorianmarriage #debutante #marriageseason #victorianera #1800s #19thcentury

[valeriepark]

Knowing that balls generally didn't start until 10 or 11pm just puts the whole Cinderella "gotta leave by midnight" situation into perspective. Whereas as a child, you're like "midnight is SO LATE, that's more than enough time to spend with Prince Charming!"

[rebeccaclark]

I feel especially sorry for the girl's of poorer (if still comparatively wealthy) families who could only afford to do a single season. The pressure to get a husband in those four months must have been immense and probably led to some rushed and ultimately pretty unhappy marriages.

[dylankennedy]

I love the fact that when my family went to London we had a picnic in Hyde Park, not because we knew the history of it but because it was a lot cheaper than going to a restaurant for lunch.

Im lowkey depressed this didnt result in my marriage to an Earl in hindsight.

[a]

I can't imagine having one (or more) grueling seasons, accepting the first (possibly only) marriage proposal you receive from a man you have had a handful of meetings with, and then having to take on the job of helping to run his household! And how did you KNOW he actually had the money he appeared to have and wasn't in debt up to his eyeballs / had a gambling problem, etc.?

[TJAllenwood]

For some reason I feel like getting dressed up and eating picnic food.

[sharronchampion]

Having to do all of that sounds like torture to my introvert soul! On a positive note, I really enjoy your videos. 😊 Thank you for another great one!

[arlyndajorgensen]

I’m starting to understand Mr. Darcy at a visceral level. I’d be grumpy about it all too.

(Yes I know different eras, but the social expectations were similar.)

[mariaefstratiou]

Could you consider making a video about noble men's mistresses? You mentioned the opera lady being the prince's princess & I'd love your analysis on the subject!

[bentelindnielsen]

Remember that most of the clothes were remade for the next season, or redone for younger siblings. For instans, a good woolen coat could be taken apart, turned inside out and put together again. Many of the fabricks that were used was dobble wowen. eks: red and green plaids on one side, opposit colours on the other side. A really good seamstress could work miracles with an out of fashion dress.

[irondiver]

My wife and I watch your videos over coffee or tea. This one was an eye opener. Had no idea at how expensive in today’s money having our daughter out in society would cost.
But being in the manufacturing class it probably wouldn’t be our world. We would be doing the same as now, having coffee or tea but reading it in the times not watching a tablet.
Great video.

[barrocaspaula]

I couldn't imagine myself doing any of this, I'd go directly to cat lady status. This sounds exhausting. You, on the other hand, are an amazing story teller.

[sarasolomon]

I loved this video. Could you do a video showing The Season from the view of an eligible young man? How much did it cost to deck out your sons? Did they get presented in court? Were they ever "on the shelf"? Did they have social obligations? Like walking in the park, going to dances or balls, or networking with wealthy older men who might have eligible daughters? Did these young men even WANT to get married? At what age did they go to the London Season? Did young men breaking into upper society work hard to get into a fancier club, in order to network? At what age did men join a club? Was it acceptable to "play the rake", meeting with actresses, or ladies of "questionable reputation"? If you weren't very rich would that hurt your reputation? (I'm sure the extremely rich young gentleman could consort with whomever he pleased without effecting his eligiblity). Suffice to say, I have lots of questions about how The Season effected men!

[subikshakumar]

Ellie should write a choose your own adventure book based on victorian marriage season.

[libbyallen]

My great grandmother was a debutante. I can’t imagine what it would have felt like to live in that era

[KahoriFutunaka]

So interesting to lern about the Englisch season! In Austria-Hungary it was the other way around: Staying in Vienna during the winter (and having the season from New Year's to after Easter) while visiting the family's castle during the summer months and well into fall.

[Aurriel]

Marriage Season sounds like a lot of work and stress!

[aislingyngaio]

To be fair to the gentlemen, they aren't strictly "hiding" at their clubs. Just like ladies' morning teas and at homes, gentleman's clubs are the men's socializing spots where they not only discuss and canvass for politics, but also for the menfolk to talk shop about the financial side of marriages for their sons and daughters e.g. is the place they ask around about the character and confirm the financial health of the prospective groom/bride etc (and since this is man-to-man, they might find out things that are considered too coarse or improper to be hinted at to the ladies). So basically it's just the scene of the male side of networking.

Also, I cackled at the casual mention of Edward VII's mistress lmao.

[CTXSLPR]

Miss Dashwood, would you consider making a video on the “pecking order” of catches? Curate, Lieutenant, Naval Captain, etc?
It seems fairly simple to follow Mr. Such and Such with 30, 000 per year but the who part of it is more lost on modern readers.

[d.lany]

You know, when I was younger at social events, I got really good at finding the dark corner, spare bedroom, or unused closet that I knew no one would check, just in case I needed it. The marriage season doesn't sound like it would do anything except give me an opportunity to use those skills again.

[dorothywillis]

I think you would find the early chapters of Agatha Christie's Autobiography of interest. Although she was born in 1890, many of the traditions were still going strong. I don't think either she or her older sister, Madge, were presented but Madge definitely had a proper "season.." But by the time Agatha was at the proper age the family's income had gone down. Her account of all this and how her mother managed to give her a season -- but in Egypt, where it was cheaper -- is very entertaining and illuminating about how the people managed who were not absolutely top, but definitely not the bottom.