******************************************************************************** Volume One Issue Five May 2006 ************************************************************ Contents: First Things First: Announcements Fashion Feature: "Sense and Sensibility" Regarding Regency Underclothes! Famous Figure: The Prince Regent The man himself! What's In A Word: "Reading the Banns" May Special Sale: Don't miss this! F.r.e.e.bies Galore Just for Fun: Links You'll Love F.r.e.e Downloads: "The Essential Guide to Organizing Your Home" AND a second "mystery" download. Inspirational: Quote by Edward W. Smith
**Online Radio Interview** Lori Soard, author and radio host, interviewed me for her online radio show. To listen in, go to: http://www.blaseskip.com/ and on the upper LEFT-HAND Corner click on "Listen Now." A box will appear and then you just click on my name. (I won't say it's a fascinating interview, but it was my first radio "appearance" so go easy on me!)
Beth's Blog! My nine-year-old daughter's recent claim to fame is a page on my website, which we call her 'blog.' Bethany loves to scribble notes about the family, so if you're into a child's view of life in the Burkard home, go here: http://www.linoreroseburkard.com/Beth.html
Regency Fashion: Undergarments If you're thinking, Wait a moment, didn't I see this already? You didn't. Not exactly. Yes, I did feature Regency underclothing in a previous eZine, but this month's little article is different. (Promise. You'll like it. Trust me. :) )
Sense and Sensibility (with regard to Regency Underclothes!)
Some writers would have you believe that to dress in Regency style was to be overly exposed; immodest, to say the least. I beg to differ.
While the favorite fabric for gowns was undeniably light (muslin), the Regency lady was no more over-exposed than she wanted to be. An amusing scene from the 1996 "Pride and Prejudice" (Starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth--sigh!) is when Lydia has rushed into the hallway wearing only a chemise. The strait-laced Mr. Collins is forced to pass her on his way to the staircase, I believe, and is clearly scandalized. The scene is quite funny, and Lydia herself cannot stop laughing.But what did he find so shocking?
Was it the amount of cleavage in plain sight? Hardly, for a perfectly respectable evening dress could reveal as much. It was more likely the idea of having seen a young lady in her "underclothing" which unsettled poor Mr. Collins.
Half a century earlier, such a sight would likely not have brought the slightest blush to even the most prudish; for during the 18th century, women were required to wear layers and layers of clothing consisting largely of underclothing.
Chemises, stockings, stays (corsets), hoops, panniers, and often many layers of petticoats. By the time of the Regency, costume had undergone a downright shocking reversal, ( beginning in France, which in turn was taking its ideas from classical Greek and Roman styles of antiquity), causing the layers of underclothing to be discarded.
In France, women's underclothing was in danger of becoming downright extinct--among the upper class, at least. When this “Empire Style” crossed the channel into England, however, it became a little less risque, thanks to the more modest English, but the ideal of a long, straight dress, revealing the human figure beneath had still to be maintained. All those petticoats from the previous century, in short, had to go. Same for the long corsets, the hoops, the panniers.
What remained was a simple chemise, sometimes accompanied by a short corset which served to raise and support the bust (precursor to the modern bra), which in turn was sometimes accompanied by a petticoat. The long, straight line of the figure was the fashionable ideal and no bulky under-garments could be allowed to get in the way. The Regency is famous in caricature for the lack of female undergarments, but this propensity of exhibitionism was far less common than the cartoonists' would have you think.
Most women, like Jane Austen herself and her heroines and neighbors and townspeople, wore sufficient undergarments and dressed quite modestly. The Empire day-dress used sundry manner of textile trickery to conceal the bust (such as, frills, lace, ruches and ruffs, and even light spencers) so that day garments were often extremely modest. The few who made do without the short corset and petticoat were probably given the most attention by newspapermen simply because they were, well, newspaperMEN!
Evening dress was more revealing, requiring a square, low bodice, but women were free to use shawls, scarves, feathers, and what-not (all of which came in an amazing quantity of sizes and styles, especially as the Regency wore on), so that they could easily wrap themselves up, if they so desired. Even to modern eyes, however, bodices from the day are revealing; but the reasoning behind the style was that the body was more beautiful than anything used to cover it (the “classical” line of reasoning) and so it was merely being given freedom to shine, so to speak.
Conclusion: There have always been people of poor taste, then no less than now. It was they who used the fashion “to an extreme”, who did not wear adequate underclothing, and who, unfortunately, represent the era to some minds. But most women dressed modestly. Even drawers were worn by women as early as 1804, (though admittedly not yet popular. They were taken from men's clothing and considered coarse and crude). Princess Charlotte was discovered to use them, however, which was shocking, ( to the older set), but which did much to popularize them with the masses. (The Princess herself was always very popular. Much more than her father, the Regent, in fact.)
Given a choice between a diaphanous Regency gown complete with a chemise and corset, and today's style of clothing for junior's, I would wager (if I wagered, though I do not!) that the Regency style would be the more modest. So there. finis copyright 2006 Linore Rose Burkard ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- **********************************************************************
This month's Guest Figure: The Prince Regent!!
(How exciting, if I do say so myself! I cannot do more than give a glimpse of this complicated, vain but charismatic Prince in one issue; however, I will feature him from time to time, shedding light on a different episode of his life, or aspect of his character each time.)
George Augustus Frederick, born Aug. 12, 1762, London, Eng. died June 26, 1830, Windsor, Berkshire. The eldest son of King George III and Queen Charlotte, the Prince of Wales was early on recognized as having a good deal of charm, a fair amount of wit, and no lack of intelligence though he sometimes lacked the will to apply it--to his studies, for instance.
As he grew, his personality clashed with the King's. He was chafing at the bit long before he gained his measure of independence and could set up his own establishment. And his father's court left him thorougly bored, for George III favored a quiet atmosphere, a subdued aristocracy, and a controlled environment.
(Indeed, the Queen did not allow those in attendance at her drawing-room to even sit down. They HAD to stand, sometimes for hours, and on occasion a lady would faint from sheer discomfort, heat, and exhaustion.)
At any rate, by the time the young Prince began getting involved with women, his father was already at odds with him, and his affairs just stoked the fire of their differences. And when the son showed a propensity to overspend his allowance (a thing which he never outgrew or turned from) the King would often respond by refusing to bail him out of debt--UNLESS. Unless he stopped seeing this lady, or fraternizing with the Whigs, or learned to stay within his allowance, etc.
The Prince, it should be mentioned, was not a reckless womanizer, (there are rumours of underhandedness in this area, but none proven true) and most often truly thought himself in love; at the least, he was infatuated with the objects of his affections.
And as noted, (no doubt in part to revenge himself on his father), the Prince hung around with the Whigs and grew quite close to Charles James Fox and other Whig notables. This was a direct insult to his father, and to the Tory government.
Tensions grew even worse when he fell in love with Mrs. Fitzherbert--a twice-widowed Catholic--and then secretly married her. It was an unconstitutional wedding, since the Prince was actually by law not free to marry a Roman Catholic, but they lived together for years as man and wife, despite the King's avowal to never acknowledge the marriage.
If only Mrs. Fitzherbert had been acceptable! She was a lady of quiet dignity, very discreet, and always loyal to the Prince, even when he failed to be so to her. She was intelligent and kind, and even the worst of the Prince's enemies could find little to say against her. In short, she gave no cause to offend in circles where offences were constantly being exchanged--willingly or no. This was no small feat.
But as a twice-widowed woman, and a Catholic, Mrs. Fitzherbert could never share the crown. So when the Prince, in enormous debt, needed Parliament to rescue him yet again, he had little recourse when it was demanded of him to take a suitable bride. The King had chosen a cousin, princess Caroline of Brunswick, and the political marriage was agreed upon. It would prove to be perhaps one of the worst matches ever arranged.
Princess Caroline could hardly have been more unsuited for the Prince. He was a man of great sensibilities and taste; she, a coarse, unexceptionally gifted female with less than stringent standards of cleanliness; and, it was later said, of dubious morals, even from her teens.
The fastidious prince took a disliking to her on sight. They managed to spend a few nights together and had one child--the ill-fated but popular and smart Princess Charlotte Augusta. But theirs was a relationship of endless friction, even of outright hatred and bitterness. The Prince refused to live with his wife, treated her harshly, and was heavily criticised by society. ( Indeed, his estranged wife seemed to do nothing but bring out the very worst in him.) And the Princess, for all her failings--and there were many--had even Jane Austen's sympathy.
In another issue, we will take a closer look at the Princess, but for now suffice it to say that she was not averse to purposely trying to aggravate her husband. For his part, the Prince tried to live as if she did not exist, and Caroline therefore did her best to remind him. Things got ugly at times....he returned her letters unopened. He forbade her from seeing Princess Charlotte (her own daughter, on the grounds that she was a bad influence). And the culmination of all the ill-will was that, upon the Regent's Coronation, the Princess was not given entrance; When she might have been crowned Queen, she was not even allowed IN! Not allowed to partake of any of the glory of the occasion.
She tried to force her way in unsuccessfully, with the result that her husband then tried to divorce her. He failed, and his unpopularity grew even more.
It is a sad commentary to think that the Prince might have avoided all of the turmoil of this marriage, had he only controlled himself and his affairs better. And even given the fact that he was bullied into marrying, why on earth did he not insist on meeting the princess, beforehand? He might have displeased the King in so doing, but that would have been nothing new.
The best thing that came out of the marriage, by all accounts, was the Princess. Charlotte was a strong-minded girl, very likeable, very unfortunate to have had warring parents, and very much as stubborn, in some ways, as the both of them. Providence took her at a young age, (she died in childbirth, as did her child.) leading way for the King's brother William to take the throne for six years, and then, William's famous niece, Victoria.
I like to think that Charlotte ( with her husband prince Leopold whom she adored, much like Victoria did Albert) would have made as successful a monarch as her relative later did. That is one thing, however, we can never know.
And think of this: Had it been Charlotte on the throne and not Victoria, would we have had the Charlatan Age? (Ha! Sorry, I couldn't resist.) :0)
__copyright 2006 Linore Rose Burkard ___________________________ *********************************************************************************** Send this eZine to a friend. Many of them enjoy little historical insights and will appreciate learning of the existence of "Upon My Word!" ************************************************************ What's In A Word? Banns - If you have read my book, Before the Season Ends, then you'll have some idea what these were. Basically, the banns were an inexpensive, public way to get permission to marry. To ‘publish the banns’ required the parish rector or vicar to announce an impending wedding during the service on three consecutive Sunday mornings. If no one arose to forbid the banns in the course of the reading, the couple could get married within the succeeding three months. My comment: A quaint practice, and evidence of the cultural assumption that everyone should/would be in church on Sunday! Quite a change from today.
I took this definition from the Regency glossary on my website. To learn more about the Regency and see the rest of what the glossary offers, go here: http://www.linoreroseburkard.com/Glossary.html For those with aol: <a href="http://www.linoreroseburkard.com/Glossary.html"> Go here </a> _______________________________________________ ***********************************************************************
Monthly Special The long and short is, I need to sell my remaining inventory of books. In order to make them move quickly, I have put together a great, big SPECIAL SALE on my website. http://www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com/tuition_help.html
If you have not yet got your own copy of "Before the Season Ends," NOW is the time to do it. I doubt I'll ever offer so much for f.r.e.e. with the purchase of one book, again.
If you've already purchased the book, please refer your friends to my sale. They will be glad you did! http://www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com/tuition_help.html
Alternatively, if you ever thought of giving a copy as a gift, NOW is the time to get that gift. You'll get a great pack of bonuses for one little purchase, and have a gift when you need one, to boot! http://www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com/tuition_help.html
Why is the page called, "tuition_help"? Were you wondering? It's because I began to set up the sale hoping to raise tuition for next year's schooling. (I'd like to take a year off from home-schooling. I have only two being schooled at home this year, but I would like to put them all in Christian school for next year.) Then, I realized I also need to finance my next publishing venture. So, for both reasons, please visit this page and at least take a look at the bonuses being offered. The value of the packs range from around $50 to hundreds of dollars, so the purchase of one book is small, in comparison to what you'll get! Take a look, now! http://www.LinoreRoseburkard.com/tuition_help.html
____________________________________________________________ ************************************************************************************* Just for Fun
Dress Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth! This little bit of childish indulgence really is fun! Try it. Then, if you're feeling generous, you can even let your kids have a go. :o) I couldn't seem to get Mr. Darcy's hat on straight--can you? http://www.stardoll.com/dolls.php?id=276
(This link was from the JAC newsletter (the Jane Austen Centre newsletter), from Bath, England. If you don't already subscribe to this monthly bit of Austenism, you are missing out. Go here to sign up: http://www.janeausten.co.uk ) **** Something for cell phone users (most of us, I think) When you need to use the 411 / information option, simply dial 1 800 FREE 411 or 1 800 373 3411. This way, you will not incur a charge except for the minutes required to make the call. _______________________________________________ ********************************************************************** Monthly Subscriber Fr.ee Downloads
Just in time for spring cleaning, get "The Essential Guide for Organizing Your Home." Since this guide is for those of us who are "organizationally challenged" (meaning, your home is NOT always visitor-ready!) I am also going to give a second download, just in case I have a lot of subscribers who happen to have the neat-home-thing down pat. Just want to be sure there's something for everybody. So, for the "Essential Guide" download, go here: http://www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com/guide.html
Second fr.ee download is: http://www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com/raven.html
I won't say what the second download is, except that I have a special reason for being fond of it. :o) (However, if you have any taste whatsoever in classic lit. you will enjoy it! I hope that makes you curious!) Again, for the first download, go to: http://www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com/guide.html
AOL users: <a href="http://www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com/guide.html"> Go here </a>
Second download: http://www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com/raven.html
AOL users: <a href="http://www.linoreroseburkard.com/raven.html"> go here </a> _______________________________________ ************************************************************* Share this newsletter with a friend. You know someone who likes history, or at least a f.r.e.e. download or two!! They'll thank you for it. _______________________________________ ************************************************************* Inspirational
Here's a wonderful thought from one of my favorite "thinkers."
You have two things that guarantee you can be successful. First you have potential you don't even know about and haven't tapped into yet. Second, you don't have much competition. Most people aren't going all out, not trying hard, or even trying. So if you want to be successful, give it your all and chances are you will make it.
Edward W. Smith. Mr. Smith is the author of Sixty Seconds To Success, the Producer/Host of the Bright Moment cable TV show, is President of The Bright Moment Seminars, and a motivational speaker. Visit him on the web at: http://www.brightmoment.com/details.asp
_______________________________________________ ********************************************************************** That's it for this month. Thanks for reading. Blessings and Grace,
Linore
www.LinoreRoseBurkard.com Inspirational Romance for Today's Woman of Faith Publisher of "Upon My Word!" The Regency EZine
