dancer, make her London debut in Rossiniâs opera, Cenerentola âCinderella. Madame Taglioni danced sur la pointe , on the tips of her toes, so lightly and gracefully. In May we saw her again; the ballet was excessively pretty. I took careful note of her costume, a sort of Swiss dress with a blue and white apron, and a little straw hat with her hair in plaits. She was not a beautiful womanâin fact I thought she was rather plain, though she danced beautifully.
I was very much amused, but I soon learned that Mamma was not.
âI do wish Madame Taglioni would not shorten her skirts quite so much,â Mamma protested. âItâs truly scandalous.â
âThey say she does it to show off her pointe work,â explained Lady Charlotte, who often accompanied us to these events.
âOne does not need to see her legs in order to admire her feet,â Mamma sniffed disapprovingly.
I could not understand what was so improper about seeing the dancerâs legs, but as Daisy once explained to me, Mammaâs sense of moral propriety was much higher than most peopleâsâmaybe than anyoneâs.
In May I celebrated my fourteenth birthday. Among the many gifts were prints for my collection, books, embroidered handkerchiefs, little china figures, and a great many pieces of jewelry, including a lovely ferronière, a jewel on a chain worn on the forehead. I had wanted one ever since Mamma had her portrait done wearing a ferronière and looking so very pretty. I thought it made me appear grown up and elegant, though I did find it a bit difficult to get used to having something dangling there.
Throughout the day friends and guests stopped by. Sir John and the Conroy family came in the morning, and I must confess that my very favorite of all my gifts was given to me by Sir John: a life-size portrait of dear little Dashy! King William and Queen Adelaide arrived late in the afternoon and presented me with a pair of diamond earrings. Mamma and the king were barely speaking to each other, since she had refused to let me attend the coronation or even to visit them at Windsor. Dear QueenAdelaide was always quite kind and pleasant to Mamma, possibly to make up for the kingâs ill humor.
My uncle Leopold sent me a very important and very serious letter in which he pointed out the need for regular self-examination to guard against the selfishness and vanity to which he said persons in high stations are known to be susceptible. âIt is necessary that the character of such persons be formed so as not to become intoxicated by greatness or success, nor to be cast down by misfortune.â
Dear Uncle Leopold! I thought, and placed it in the silver casket where I kept all his letters. So kind, so wise! I could not have a better man advising me.
The day being an unusually fine one, my guests and I went out into the garden and enjoyed bowls of sillabubâfresh cream whipped with sugar and wineâunder the trees. That evening the king and queen gave a Juvenile Ball at St. Jamesâs in my honor. Mamma and I and the king and queen and a few others gathered in the Royal Closet, a large chamber next to the ballroom. When all was ready, servants in the kingâs livery opened the doors and a trumpet fanfare was played. I placed my left hand on King Williamâs right wrist, and he led me into the ballroom. Victoire Conroy was present, as well as many other children.
I opened the dancing with my cousin, Prince George of Cambridge. This was followed by three more quadrilles before supper, at which I sat between the king and queen, and four more quadrilles after supper. I danced every one of them. Madame Bourdin, my dancing mistress, oversaw it with a critical eye, to make sure all was done properly. I enjoyed myself and was very much amused .
I am now fourteen! I thought contentedly as I drifted off to sleep in the hour past midnight, with dear little Dash asleep at my feet. How very VERY
I was very much amused, but I soon learned that Mamma was not.
âI do wish Madame Taglioni would not shorten her skirts quite so much,â Mamma protested. âItâs truly scandalous.â
âThey say she does it to show off her pointe work,â explained Lady Charlotte, who often accompanied us to these events.
âOne does not need to see her legs in order to admire her feet,â Mamma sniffed disapprovingly.
I could not understand what was so improper about seeing the dancerâs legs, but as Daisy once explained to me, Mammaâs sense of moral propriety was much higher than most peopleâsâmaybe than anyoneâs.
In May I celebrated my fourteenth birthday. Among the many gifts were prints for my collection, books, embroidered handkerchiefs, little china figures, and a great many pieces of jewelry, including a lovely ferronière, a jewel on a chain worn on the forehead. I had wanted one ever since Mamma had her portrait done wearing a ferronière and looking so very pretty. I thought it made me appear grown up and elegant, though I did find it a bit difficult to get used to having something dangling there.
Throughout the day friends and guests stopped by. Sir John and the Conroy family came in the morning, and I must confess that my very favorite of all my gifts was given to me by Sir John: a life-size portrait of dear little Dashy! King William and Queen Adelaide arrived late in the afternoon and presented me with a pair of diamond earrings. Mamma and the king were barely speaking to each other, since she had refused to let me attend the coronation or even to visit them at Windsor. Dear QueenAdelaide was always quite kind and pleasant to Mamma, possibly to make up for the kingâs ill humor.
My uncle Leopold sent me a very important and very serious letter in which he pointed out the need for regular self-examination to guard against the selfishness and vanity to which he said persons in high stations are known to be susceptible. âIt is necessary that the character of such persons be formed so as not to become intoxicated by greatness or success, nor to be cast down by misfortune.â
Dear Uncle Leopold! I thought, and placed it in the silver casket where I kept all his letters. So kind, so wise! I could not have a better man advising me.
The day being an unusually fine one, my guests and I went out into the garden and enjoyed bowls of sillabubâfresh cream whipped with sugar and wineâunder the trees. That evening the king and queen gave a Juvenile Ball at St. Jamesâs in my honor. Mamma and I and the king and queen and a few others gathered in the Royal Closet, a large chamber next to the ballroom. When all was ready, servants in the kingâs livery opened the doors and a trumpet fanfare was played. I placed my left hand on King Williamâs right wrist, and he led me into the ballroom. Victoire Conroy was present, as well as many other children.
I opened the dancing with my cousin, Prince George of Cambridge. This was followed by three more quadrilles before supper, at which I sat between the king and queen, and four more quadrilles after supper. I danced every one of them. Madame Bourdin, my dancing mistress, oversaw it with a critical eye, to make sure all was done properly. I enjoyed myself and was very much amused .
I am now fourteen! I thought contentedly as I drifted off to sleep in the hour past midnight, with dear little Dash asleep at my feet. How very VERY
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