What is a Debutante?
A debutante is typically a wealthy young woman, or a woman who will inherit great wealth, who usually comes from an upper class family. Generally, the debutante would declare her eligibility for marriage in an official “coming out” event, at or around her 18th birthday. Coming out ceremonies differ widely in countries, and not all countries have a debutante class of girls, also call “debs.” In the UK and Britain, the first debutantes were those presented at court by either a family member or close friends who had previously been presented at court. Queen Elizabeth II abolished the practice in 1958. Those in North Ireland followed a similar practice by being presented to the viceroy of Ireland. Several purposes were served by the debutante presentation. First, it maintained that women who were presented would come from family backgrounds with significant stature. Second, other members of the upper class and the minor royalty could then consider each debutante marriageable. However, amou
Can high society imagine a world without the debutante? The tradition of the debutante will probably endure in some manner forever. Guaranteed, the citizens from high society will make sure that though the particular traditions of the debutante may change, there will always be an appropriate way for high society to present their daughters to the world. They may not be called “debutantes” in the future but there will a way to present young women of marriageable age to society. The tradition of debutante season has lasted for many generations in this country, much of it in the large southern cities in the United States. So if you want to ask what a debutante is, go to Deep South of the USA and you will discover the answer. There also is a strong debutante society tradition in Europe, especially among those countries which still have an aristocratic tradition. Do you ever ask yourself “what is a debutante?” Find out by getting your copy of Surviving High Society today!
