DEBUTANTES OF 1939

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21304, 25 March 1939, Page 11

DEBUTANTES OF 1939

A RECORD YEAR FOR COURT PRESENTATIONS LONDON. February 16. This year promises to create a record in the number of interesting and important debutantes who will be presented at the various courts. There are the daughters of two Jukes and the nieces of two others. The Duke of Marlborough's daughter, Lady darah Churchill, is one and Lady Anne RitzRoy, daughter of the Duke of Grafton, another. There are also Miss Elizabetn Leveson-Gower, niece of the Duke of Sutherland and the Duchess of Buccleuch's daughter, Miss Clare Phipps.

Mrs Neville Chamberlain is presenting her niece, Miss Valerie Cole. Miss Cole is at present staying with her aunt at No. 10 Downing Street, where entertainments will be held in her honour.

Lady Ravensdale is bringing out her niece, Miss Vivien Mosley, daughter of her sister, the late Lady Cynthia Mosley. Both Miss Mosley and Miss Leve-son-Gower speak several languages fluently, having been educated on the Continent and having travelled extensively.

Miss Naomi de' Rothschild, the 18-year-old daughter of Mrs Lionel de Rothschild, who is also making her debut, is an expert pianist and has been doing a great deal of A.R.P. work since her return from a finishing school in Switzerland. Miss Helena Lambton, the niece of Lord Durham, is another clever debutante who is very interested in literature. About a year ago she combined with members of the Modern Girl Club, of which she also is a member, to write a "thriller.” There will be no crinolines at this year’s courts, but the skirts will be full and long, measuring quite 10 yards round the hems. The most populartones will be white and off-white, and pastel lames will also be worn.

Miss Vacani, who has taught the art of the curtsey to Royalty and the leading members of society for many years, is very busy just now.

Every day groups of girls are gathering together in Knightsbridge to practice their obeyances for the coming courts.

It is a serious business. Time after time the debutante, with a lace curtain draped over her shoulders for a train and carrying an artificial bouquet of feather fan, has to approach the improvized “throne,” accompanied by someone deputising as the sponsor.

The right degree of balance has to be achieved and the debutante must keep her eyes open, as often the person

j accompanying her purposely makes a | false step, which might easily happen I on the occasion itself, and it is the i debutante's task to watch out for this | so that an ungraceful collision may not 1 occur.