London’s Last Royal Season For Debutantes

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28541, 21 March 1958, Page 2

London’s Last Royal Season For Debutantes

[By

SUSAN VAUGHAN)

LONDON. The debutante season has arrived again—and for the last time. After this year no more young women will be presented to the Queen. Instead, there will be more garden parties at Buckingham Palace. Who will be the “Deb of the Year’’ in this last season of debutantes? One of the most attractive I have seen so far is golden-haired Sally Crocker Poole, 18-year-old daughter of Colonel and Mrs Arthur Crocker Poole. Two other contenders are Lady Carolyn Townshend and Sally O’Rorke. Lady Carolyn Townshend, who has been studying at Florence University, is the elder daughter of Lord and Lady Townshend. She will have her coming-out dance in June at Roynham Hall, the family home in Norfolk.

Sally O’Rorke is a ballet student, aged 17, and a granddaughter \of the late Colonel Karri-Davies, the first man to enter Mafeking after the siege.' Royal Guests

At least one of.the debutantes— Miss Georgina Montagu'-Douglas-Scott—will have Royal guests at her coming-out dance in July. Her aunt, the Duchess of Gloucester, has promised to be there, with her husband. She is the 17-year-old daughter of Lord and Lady George Scott. Her mother, sister-in-law of the duchess, is better known as Molly Bishop, the painter. Another debutante who may have Royal guests at her dance is Lady Fitzalan-Howard, aged 17. daughter of the Earl Marshal, the Duke of Norfolk. Last year, when his eldest daughter. Lady Anne, was a debutante, the Duke gave

a lavish ball for 1000 guests at St. James’s Palace. The Queen was there. This time it will be a more modest affair—for about 100 guests.

One debutante may have Jhe Duke of Windsor as a guest at her coming-out dance. She is Miss Georgina Ward, daughter of Mr George Ward, the Air Minister. Her dance is being given in May by her uncle, the Earl of Dudley,! one of the Duke’s closest friends. 1 A niece of Sir Anthony Eden is also among the last of the debu-, tantes. She is Miss Elfrida Eden, aged 17, daughter of Sir Timothy Eden and Lady Eden. Miss Eden is a keen dancer, but she has had to give up her plans for a ballet career because of her height,' which is now sft lOin. She has also turned down an offer to dance in a Paris night club be-: cause she has so many engage-] ments in the social season. In-i stead, she is teaching French at' her mother’s school in London. I Other Debutantes Other debutantes from wellknown families are Miss Melaine Lowson, aged 17, daughter of Sir Denys Lowson, Lord Mayor of London in the Festival of Britain year; the Hon. Camilla Jessel, aged 18, grand-daughter of Lady Londonderry, one of London’s most famous hostesses; and Miss Teresa Pearson, aged 17, daughter of Lord Cowdray. She will have her dance at the famous Cowdray Club which her great-grandmother opened in 1922 for nurses and professional women. But this is only the beginning of many months of coming-out dances. and there are many debutantes yet to be seen. Very fierce competition is anticipated for the title of the “Last Deb of the Year.*’