The belles of the ball

The belles of the ball

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Queen Charlotte's Ball is the crowning event of the London Season, a programme for a hand-picked group of girls from rich backgrounds. Girls like (left to right) Maria Austin, Amelia Simmons, Sophie Bonello, Zoe Rawson and Georgina Riddle become debutantes for a season - attending social events, taking part in etiquette classes and charity fund-raising.

. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Debutantes Sophie Bonello, Lucinda Royden and Alice Palmer (left to right) look on during dress rehearsals for Queen Charlotte's Ball.

The last of the old-school British debutantes were presented to Queen Elizabeth in 1958, the start of an era less about royal balls and more about rock ’n’ roll.

But although the old rituals of the London Season -- a six-month spree of parties during which the daughters of aristocratic families were introduced to court, and to blue-blooded potential husbands -- have ended, the tradition and the luxury persist today in a slightly modified form.

Current London Season is more about philanthropy and setting girls up with networking opportunities than finding them someone to marry.

. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

The ball coordinator helps up debutante Zoe Rawson before Queen Charlotte's Ball begins. Zoe, 18, has just started studying geography at Edinburgh University and is travelling to Dubai, New York and Shanghai over the coming year for a string of debutante events.

. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Ella Venables (left) and Alice Palmer rehearse for Queen Charlotte's Ball

There were eighteen young debutantes who had volunteered for the London Season, the symbolic right of passage to mark their entry into ‘society’ as young women.

. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Debutante Rebecca Cliffe (right) collapses giggling in the spacious ladies' toilets at Queen Charlotte's Ball.

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Slideshow

Debutantes Sophie Bonello, Amelia Simmons and Isabella Simmons (left to right) undergo hair and makeup preparations for Queen Charlotte's Ball.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Debutantes Sophie Bonello, Amelia Simmons and Isabella Simmons (left to right) undergo hair and makeup preparations for Queen Charlotte's Ball.

Debutantes wait to begin preparations for Queen Charlotte's Ball.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Debutantes wait to begin preparations for Queen Charlotte's Ball.

Debutantes Jenny Ward and Lauren Evans have their hair blow-dried for Queen Charlotte's Ball.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Debutantes Jenny Ward and Lauren Evans have their hair blow-dried for Queen Charlotte's Ball.

Debutante Amelia Simmons, 21, who studies history at University College London, stressed that some of the formal aspects of the Season were not particularly important to her: “People place too much importance on etiquette… it’s more important to train people to be good and kind and charitable than how to use cutlery,” she said.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Debutante Amelia Simmons, 21, who studies history at University College London, stressed that some of the formal aspects of the Season were not particularly important to her: “People place too much importance on etiquette… it’s more important to train people to be good and kind and charitable than how to use cutlery,” she said.

Debutantes rehearse for Queen Charlotte's Ball. The girls make a grand entrance walking in one by one and are judged on their posture, elegance and pace.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Debutantes rehearse for Queen Charlotte's Ball. The girls make a grand entrance walking in one by one and are judged on their posture, elegance and pace.

Debutante Ella Venables rehearses for Queen Charlotte's Ball.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Debutante Ella Venables rehearses for Queen Charlotte's Ball.

Dress designer Dana Kruszynska looks at a dress during the preparation for the 
Queen Charlotte's Ball.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Dress designer Dana Kruszynska looks at a dress during the preparation for the Queen Charlotte's Ball.

Debutante Lauren Evans waits for Queen Charlotte's Ball to begin.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Debutante Lauren Evans waits for Queen Charlotte's Ball to begin.

Debutante Ella Venables is taught to waltz by a guest in the spacious ladies' toilets at Queen Charlotte's Ball. She was to dance with her father later but didn’t know the steps.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Debutante Ella Venables is taught to waltz by a guest in the spacious ladies' toilets at Queen Charlotte's Ball. She was to dance with her father later but didn’t know the steps.

Kitchen staff look at debutante Eli Miansarow as she passes by during Queen Charlotte's Ball.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Kitchen staff look at debutante Eli Miansarow as she passes by during Queen Charlotte's Ball.

The traditional Queen Charlotte's cake is wheeled into the ballroom.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

The traditional Queen Charlotte's cake is wheeled into the ballroom.

Debutante Talitha Piggott is named Debutante of the Year.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

Debutante Talitha Piggott is named Debutante of the Year.

White gloves are seen laid out next to a list of names as preparations begin for Queen Charlotte's Ball.
. London, United Kingdom. Reuters/Olivia Harris

White gloves are seen laid out next to a list of names as preparations begin for Queen Charlotte's Ball.

"The modern London Season also has a more international twist than its traditional predecessor."
Olivia Harris, Reuters Photographer

The last of the old-school British debutantes were presented to Queen Elizabeth in 1958, the start of an era less about royal balls and more about rock ’n’ roll.

But although the old rituals of the London Season -- a six-month spree of parties during which the daughters of aristocratic families were introduced to court, and to blue-blooded potential husbands -- have ended, the tradition and the luxury persist today in a slightly modified form.

The current London Season, crowned by the Queen Charlotte’s Ball that took place on Sept. 14, involves meetings with aristocracy and etiquette training. But it is more about philanthropy and setting girls up with networking opportunities than finding them someone to marry, said organiser Jennie Hallam-Peel.

“So many of the fathers are partners in law firms, of they’re chairmen of banks or hedgefunds or whatever, and they’re able to create something for the girls,” said Hallam-Peel, who also stressed that events had raised millions over the years for children’s charities.

The girls, normally aged 17 to 20, are selected through an application process, during which both they and their parents are interviewed, and they take part in organising parties and charity events. According to Hallam-Peel, only around half of the girls have relatives who were former “debs.”

The debutantes themselves stressed the importance of fund-raising, but also enthused about Queen Charlotte’s Ball, the high-point of the season that took place at the sumptuously decorated One Whitehall Place in London, and which involves a special curtsying ritual and a nine-tier white cake.

“The ball is a fun opportunity to wear nice dresses and things. We don’t float around in nice ball gowns 24/7… It felt like that was a nice kind of reward for all the work we’d done thought the year,“ said debutante Maria Austin, 20, who went to Notre Dame, a girls school in Surrey, and who now studies drama and theatre studies at Royal Holloway.

Austin, who wants to either become a classical actor or go into business development, said she was attracted to the Season because of the opportunity to take part in philanthropy.

“A lot of my friends went over to Malawi and Cambodia and did something worthwhile and I wanted to have a chance to give something back a little bit so I was really interested in the charity side of it,” she said.

The modern London Season also has a more international twist than its traditional predecessor, as the girls attend occasions for privileged young women around the world.

“I’m doing a little world tour – I’m going to Dubai in November for the Kind Hearts and Coronets Ball, to New York in December for the International Debutante Ball, and also in January to the International Debutante Ball taking place in Shanghai,” said Zoe Rawson, 18, who has begun a degree in geography at Edinburgh University.

Despite this international aspect, Hallam-Peel stressed that the Season and the Queen Charlotte’s Ball were still about holding onto England’s past.

“I do feel as an English person, it’s really important to preserve our traditions. All these people come into our country and they maintain their traditions, and we tend to have our traditions eroded because we’re so easy-going,” she said.

But debutante Amelia Simmons, 21, who studies history at University College London, stressed that some of the formal aspects of the Season were not particularly important to her, saying that she was motivated to take part in the by the opportunity to do good work.

“People place too much importance on etiquette… it’s more important to train people to be good and kind and charitable than how to use cutlery,” she said.

“I was bought up reading Debrett’s so I knew most of it already and I didn’t pay too much attention,” she added.