The Court Jeweller

Sparkling Royal Jewels From Around the World

Jewel History: Presented at Court (1883)

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“Presented at Court”
(originally appeared in the Washington Post on 5 August 1883)

From the New York Morning Journal — “Do you ever make dresses for court presentations?” asked a reporter of a famous Fifth Avenue modiste.

“What court do you mean? The English court? We certainly do, but not so many as one would think. Most American girls, or their mamma, are so afraid that the style will not be strictly English, you know; so they wait until they get to England or Paris; but some of the most beautiful dresses ever seen in the Queen’s drawing room have been made in this city, and that I know to be a fact.”

“How must the dress be made?” was then asked. “Is there any set style?”

“Oh, yes. For a debutante, her first dress must be pure white. The material may be either crepe de chine, satin, silk, velvet, plush, or any rich material. Then the train must be a court train, that is, flowing from the waist and very long, with a petticoat front. The bodice must be cut low in the neck and with short sleeves, and as many or few ornaments as they desire may be worn, and flowers to suit the fancy. Married ladies may go to the Queen’s drawing-room in black or colored silks, velvets, etc., but all the dresses must be cut low in the corsage, as that is a rule of the court.”

“I should think it would be dangerous for ladies with delicate frames to go without a wrap,” was observed.

“So it is, young man,” replied the modiste, “and some ladies do wear high necks, but they have to be especially excused by the Queen.”

“Can you tell me when the Queen’s drawing-rooms are held?”

“Well, in May and June principally. Those months, and July, are the height of ‘the season’ in London society. But as for the manner of presentation, it might be best for you to see someone who has enjoyed that distinction.”

The lady kindly intimated that a certain young lady uptown could give the information, and she was accordingly sought.

“Were you presented at court?” inquired the reporter.

“Oh, yes, indeed,” she replied. “I attended two drawing-rooms, both in May. At the last one, the Queen was unable to be present, and the Princess of Wales received her place. But the first, that was the exciting one. When I went to London, mamma was determined that I should make a good appearance. My dress was made here and it was beautiful.”

“What was it?” interrupted the journalier.

“Well, the train was of white poult-de-soie, made very long, with a ruching and puffings of tulle, fastened at the shoulder with little narrow white satin ribbons and tiny bouquets of ferns and Victoria roses, out of compliment to Her Majesty, you know. The corsage and petticoat were of ivory-white satin, covered with pearl embroidery on tulle and caught here and there with clusters of the ferns and Victoria roses. Then I wore a tulle veil with white roses and maiden-hair ferns and pearl ornaments, and I carried the loveliest big bouquet of Victoria roses you ever saw. I felt just as though I was going to be married but not at all timid. Most of the English girls at the drawing-room, even of noble families, were awfully frightened at having to kiss the Queen’s hand and back out gracefully without stepping on their trains.”

“I should think it would require some practice to know how to do that,” observed her listener.

“Why, of course. Don’t you know you have to go to a regular teacher to learn how to act? It’s a fact. First you wait until it is time for you to be presented and then your name is called, and then you come forward with the lady who presents you, and bow first to the Queen, then to the Princess of Wales, the Princess Beatrice, the Duchess of Connaught, and down through an awfully long list of notables. I can’t remember them. Then the oceans of people in attendance and the diplomatic ambassadors! After you have bowed low to all the royal family, you back out and make room for someone else, but you mustn’t turn your back on royalty or you will suffer.”

“How do you know if you can be presented?”

“Well, it’s very easy for an American girl, if she has money, and it is good-looking and well-bred. Some English lady of rank who goes to the drawing-rooms, or who has already been presented, will send your name to the Lord Chamberlain, and he submits it to the Queen, and that’s all.”

“What kind of dresses do the Queen and the Princess wear?” asked the reporter.

“The Queen wore a rich dark velvet and a long train and her crown. But I looked mostly at the Princess of Wales; she does dress in such exquisite taste. She wore a dress of ciel-blue satin duchess, embroidered in silver-gilt draperies of the finest Brussels lace and looped with large bouquets of roses and lilies. The train was of ciel-blue brocade embroidered in colored flowers, and the corsage was made to correspond. On her head was a tiara of diamonds, a cluster of feathers and a lace veil, and she wore several orders, the Victoria and Albert, the Saxe-Coburg, the Crown of India, and others I forget now.”

“What did the Princess Beatrice wear?”

“She wore white silk and satin and some pale pink mousseline de soie with roses to correspond, and beautiful diamonds and emeralds in the hair, and lots of orders. They wore all sorts of dresses and nearly all the ladies wore veils. Rather a funny idea, isn’t it?”

Crown Princess Mary’s Jewel Style with StyleRocks (and a Giveaway!)

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Company founder Pascale Helyar-Moray wearing StyleRocks jewelry

Those of you who have been hanging around various royal jewelry and style blogs for a while may have heard of StyleRocks, an Australian jewelry company that produces customizable pieces, including earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings. You can customize a number of features of the jewelry pieces, including the metal, the finish, and the gemstone.

Cate Blanchett and Pascale Helyar-Moray wearing StyleRocks jewelry

Founded in 2011, pieces from StyleRocks have been worn by celebrities, including Cate Blanchett (pictured above wearing a StyleRocks Russian Rings Necklace with the company’s founder, Pascale Helyar-Moray). The company has also released jewelry inspired by royalty, including the Duchess of Cambridge.

Because each piece of StyleRocks jewelry can be customized in so many ways, they offer an incredible number of individual options and pieces. Here’s a look at the craftsmanship behind the Russian Rings Necklace worn above by Cate Blanchett and Pascale.

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (image source)

Kate is, of course, going to be the Queen of Australia someday, but when I think of Australian royals, my mind immediately travels elsewhere: to Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, who was born in Tasmania and who famously met her prince, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, during the Sydney Olympics. I was chatting about jewelry recently with Pascale Helyar-Moray, the founder of StyleRocks, and I could almost hear her excitement through the vast expanse of the internet when I told her that a number of the pieces from the collection reminded me of Mary’s daytime jewelry style. Here are a couple of my favorite examples…

The Three Band Pearl Ring

Mary wears lots and lots of pearls — she even had earrings from the grand ruby parure reworked to allow them to be worn with pearl drops! There’s something about the Three Band Pearl Ring, with its single round freshwater pearl nestled amid silvery loops, that reminds me of Mary’s style. The pearl is traditional and classic, but the abstract silver ring elevates it to the kind of cool minimalism that the Danes pull off so well.

The South Sea Pearl Necklace

And how’s this for a twist on an everyday classic: a single South Sea pearl suspended from a delicate sterling silver chain. Mary has a strand of large round pearls that she’s worn at various events, but I love the statement made by the single large pearl on this necklace. It’s sort of elegant and playful all at the same time, and it has geographic links to Mary’s Australian homeland.

The Russian Rings Necklace

We talk all the time here about the pieces of jewelry worn by various royals to honor their spouses and children, and Mary’s already altered a very important piece of jewelry — her ruby and diamond engagement ring — to represent her four children. I can imagine that she’d also love the sentimental but cool Russian Rings Necklace, which can be engraved with a different name or phrase on each of its four silver rings. I like that this family tribute can be sort of stealth — from afar, it’s just a lovely pendant, but the wearer knows that it means much more than just that.

The Amethyst Briolette Drop Earrings

While it’s great to have jewelry connected to your family, it’s also wonderful to wear pieces that are linked to you! Mary’s a February baby with a lovely purple birthstone, the amethyst. For a twist on traditional birthstone jewelry, I love these Briolette Drop Earrings. They feature pale, almost lavender amethyst drops suspended from an unusual, modern white gold earring. They’d be the perfect unexpected addition to Mary’s daytime jewelry wardrobe, neatly skirting the line between classic and fresh.

White Gold and Diamond Hoops with Cushion-Cut Checkerboard Morganite Drops

But for every unusual piece in a lady’s jewelry wardrobe, it’s also great to have a piece that is a stunning classic. StyleRocks is known for their cushion-cut checkerboard gemstone collections, featuring bright, colorful gems set in earrings, rings, and necklaces. You all know that I’m a big proponent of the semi-precious gemstone (more blue topazes and peridots for all!), and I think the amazing pale pink morganite drops, suspended from white gold and diamond hoops, would be absolutely stunning with Mary’s dark hair and eyes. They’re definitely fit for a (future) queen!

The “Willow” Russian Wedding Ring in White, Rose, and Yellow Gold

Finally, here’s a piece that embodies lots of the qualities present in the jewels above: it’s traditional yet innovative and fun, it would work for everyday events as well as special evenings out, and it’s definitely regal. The Willow Ring is a gorgeous piece in the style of a Russian wedding ring, with three interlinked bands. (I love that the rings stay together yet move and roll, because I’m one of those people who loves to fidget with her jewelry. Beautiful and fun!) I could definitely see Mary wearing the Willow Ring with a mix of all three metals (rose gold, white gold, and yellow gold), which would make the piece feel both classic and cool in a very Scandinavian way!


The “Willow” Russian Wedding Ring

Now for the truly exciting part of the post — Pascale and StyleRocks are partnering with us here at The Court Jeweller to give one lucky reader a piece of gorgeous StyleRocks jewelry: the 9-ct. gold Willow Ring! Because this is a giveaway from StyleRocks, and their trademark is jewelry that’s customized to fit your tastes and your lifestyle, the winner of the Willow Ring will have the chance to choose which metal finishes they’d like: yellow gold, white gold, rose gold, or a combination of all three!

To enter for a chance to win the Willow Ring, there are two required steps. First, comment below and let us know which of the pieces above (or from the rest of the extensive StyleRocks website!) you think would best fit into Crown Princess Mary’s jewelry box. Next, visit the StyleRocks homepage and sign up for the StyleRocks mailing list. Every person who signs up for the mailing list will automatically receive a $25 credit to spend on StyleRocks’s unique, customizable jewelry.

We’re using Rafflecopter to run this giveaway and choose the winner at random, so please make sure to use the widget below to enter all of the relevant information. (You can earn additional entries in the giveaway by following The Court Jeweller and StyleRocks on Twitter, tweeting a link to the giveaway, and visiting our pages on Facebook!)

The giveaway is open to all readers around the globe who are 18 years of age or older. The giveaway will be open for two weeks; it begins at 12:00 AM CDT on Tuesday, August 4 (that’s today!), and ends at 11:59 PM CDT on Tuesday, August 18. The winner of the giveaway prize will be announced on Friday, August 21. Good luck!

Disclosure: This post and the accompanying giveaway are sponsored by StyleRocks. All opinions expressed herein are my own. Giveaway Terms and Conditions: Giveaway ends August 18th at 11:59 PM CDT. Open internationally. Entrants must be 18 years old or older. Winner will be selected at random and will be notified by email. Winner have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is selected. Please note that The Court Jeweller is not responsible for sponsors that do not fulfill their prizes.  I have represented each sponsor with the expectation they will fulfill their prize and in a timely manner. I will contact the sponsor regarding your prize(s). The sponsors, in most cases, are shipping their items to you directly. I will make every effort to assist you obtaining your prize. If there is an issue with a sponsor, please notify The Court Jeweller within 30 days for assistance, after that we may be unable to assist you.  The product provided for the review was free of charge from the company. The product offered for the giveaway is free of charge, no purchase necessary. Facebook and Twitter are in no way associated with this giveaway.  By providing your information in this form, you are providing your information to me and me alone.  I do not share or sell information and will use any information only for the purpose of contacting the winner.