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Smith, Chelsea Victoria

History

2012

M.A.

Etiquette in Victorian England played an essential role in the maintenance and establishment of the London Season and was a cultural manifestation of an altering society's need for stability and structure. The British upper class (including the aristocracy) utilized etiquette as a means of reinforcing the existing social boundaries between classes, and also of preserving traditional values in a society that was rapidly changing as a result of industrialization. The events that comprised the London Season were the venues in which etiquette was practiced and reinforced; consequently, these events are also the mechanism through which to examine, and therefore understand, the role of etiquette in Britain's "High Society." While the upper classes participated in every facet of the season, the social structure was particularly evident in activities such as attending balls, calling on aristocrats at their London townhouses, driving and walking in parks, and presentations to Court.