Debutantes and the London Season [ BRIDGERTON SEASON 2 SPECIAL RE-RELEASE]

The Reference Desk

Mar 23, 2022•1 hr 23 min

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Episode description

Dearest reader,

As the social season draws near and the second season of Bridgerton is ready to premier this week, we are rereleasing Katie’s episode on Debutants and the London Season! Consider this your exclusive invitation to learn all about this bizarre ritual dating back hundreds of years and shockingly still happening in some capacity today, along with all of its problematic history of sexism, classism and racism.

Please enjoy Katie’s deep dive into the realm of the ultra-exlusive debutante social scene.

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In this episode, Katie is bewitched with the debutantes of the London social season.

Since the late 1700s, Britain's most eligible young ladies have been presented to society during London's social season. Providing the framework for our favorite novels like Pride and Prejudice, debutante society hides a deeply problematic world of sexism, racism, classism, and more. In this deep-dive into the beginnings and evolution of this bizarre ritual, we explore the realm of the ultra-exclusive debutante social scene.

For more information, and a list of all our sources, visit our website.

Titles recommended in this episode:

The Season: A Social History of the Debutante by Kristen Richardson

The Husband Hunters: Social Climbing in London and New York by Anne de Courcy and Clare Corbett

Women of Means: The Fascinating Biographies of Royals, Heiresses, Eccentrics, and Other Poor Little Rich Girls by Margaret Wagman-Gellar

The Bridgertons Series by Julia Quinn

Belgravia by Julian Fellowes

The American Heiress by Daisy Goodwin

The Debutantes series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

If you're interested in purchasing the books mentioned in this episode, visit our bookshop.org affiliate shop

Links:

The 10 Dos and Don’ts of Etiquette to Become a Lady in Regency England