Lucile Ltd was the most prestigious member of the elite band of ‘Court dressmakers’ versed in the complicated etiquette that underpinned the sumptuous ensembles worn by women upon presentation to the sovereign. It was fortunate for Lady Duff Gordon that, under Edward VII, life at Court was a great deal more glamorous than it had been under Queen Victoria. In an attempt to recreate something of the theatrical splendour of the Tuileries which had so impressed him as a boy, Edward pushed the timing of the presentation ceremonies way back, from mid-afternoon to 10 p.m. and beyond. Beneath the
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