The huge popularity of Bridgerton has made its legion of fans very aware that the Regency period was peppered with social rules, from what you wore to what and when you ate. Understanding those rules and knowing how to live by them was expected by those in the highest levels of society, the ‘Ton’. Even though the creators of the hit show have been relaxed in their historic details, the emphasis on correct etiquette has been spot on.
The Regency period is so-named because, on 5 February 1811, due to George III’s ill-health, his eldest son, the Prince of Wales began his tenure as Prince Regent until his father died in 1820 when he became king. In Bridgerton, King George’s illness is referenced, but we see no Prince Regent, just Queen Charlotte.
It’s a period that has been characterised for its style and elegance. But what were the observances of etiquette that formed such an important part of the daily lives and experiences of the men and women who made up the ‘Ton’ that Lady Whistledown writes about? What expectations shaped their visits to friends and acquaintances, their mealtimes and dining habits, and the way in which they dressed?
The morning call
An important component of the period’s social scene was the morning call, a social visit that was in fact generally paid in the afternoon. Morning calls usually lasted 15–20 minutes. They were paid as a matter of ceremony between acquaintances, with a polite exchange of news and conversation. You see the Bridgerton family ‘at home’ when Francesca finds that two suitors comes to visit her. Of course, they were also paid between friends with a far closer relationship, and the timing of these visits was naturally far more fluid.
There were a number of rules and expectations around paying calls. For instance, if a lady or gentleman took up residence in a new area, it was expected that they would then wait for their new neighbours to call on them first and introduce themselves. It was not expected for the newcomer to go capering about knocking on people’s doors. In Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mr Bennet calls upon Mr Bingley when he takes up residence at Netherfield Park. Ladies did not call upon gentlemen, which is why Mrs Bennet could not be the one to call on Mr Bingley. Also, calls that were paid had to be returned. Neglecting to return a call gave out a very negative signal.
Another key point is the matter of a lady or gentleman being ‘at home’ or ‘not at home’. When one person called upon another, the servant answering the door would inform them that their employer was either ‘at home’ or ‘not at home’. If they were ‘at home’, they were receiving visitors and the caller would be admitted and announced to the person they had come to see.
However, ‘not at home’ did not necessarily mean that they were out of the house – they could be in, but not willing to receive visitors at that time. If this was the case, the caller was able to leave a card. Rather like a business card, this informed the occupier who had been to see them. Ideally, the card would be simple and concise.
Mealtimes during the Regency period
Etiquette also played an important role at mealtimes. Ladies and gentlemen generally ate their breakfast at about 10am. It consisted of toast, bread and butter – perhaps with hot rolls and cake as well – and was accompanied by tea or coffee. Luncheon followed at around 12pm. This informal meal, made up of such things as cold meats, acted as a top-up before the big affair of the day: dinner. The dinner hour varied; it moved later during the Regency period. In town it might be served between 8pm and 9pm whereas previously it would have been served at around 5pm, which continued in the country.
The etiquette attached to dinner is of particular interest. John Trusler’s manual The Honours of the Table, or, Rules for Behaviour During Meal (1788, and available for free from the Internet Archive) details a change in etiquette that occurred during the late 18th century. At first, the ladies sat together at the upper end of the table, while the gentlemen sat at the lower.
The subsequent custom was for ladies and gentlemen to sit alternately beside each other. The dishes for each course were placed in a set pattern on the table. Neighbours were expected to help one another to what they wanted, but there was a particular expectation on a gentleman to carve well and attend to the needs of ladies.
The first course included a range of options, incorporating joints of meat, fish and vegetable dishes. Soup, according to Trusler, would usually be served before everything else. Once the first course was finished, this would be cleared away by the servants and a second arranged. After the second course, the table would be cleared again and dessert laid out. This time, the tablecloth would be rolled up (to contain any crumbs) and taken away as well.
Dessert consisted of food such as fruits, sweetmeats and ices. The ladies would withdraw once dinner had finished, leaving the gentlemen to their decanters.
Dinner was followed by supper, a light meal taken in the late evening. The taking of supper diminished during this period, as ladies and gentlemen dined later and later. Some abandoned it entirely; for others it became a light snack served between 9pm and 10pm. Sometimes supper was served after a trip to the theatre or opera or was offered to guests at the end of a social evening.
Dressed to impress – Regency clothing and Bridgerton
Etiquette also applied to clothing. A Regency lady might go through a number of outfits in any one day, with dress determined by occasion and activity. Fashion magazines detailed suitable ensembles to be worn at home, at dinner, in the carriage, and in a variety of other situations. Certain expectations were attached to these different outfits.
A lady at home in the morning would be more likely to wear a dress that covered her arms and chest – a fichu, a shawl made of light fabric, might be used as a fill-in between the throat and the neckline – and would often wear a cap as well. The ladies in Bridgerton can often be seen with a light shawl and dress more modestly at home.
A lady going outdoors, perhaps to walk or pay calls, would of course wear her bonnet (in Bridgerton bonnets rarely appear, the designers preferring flowers in the hair). Clothes worn later in the day were allowed to be more revealing; what was acceptable at a ball would have been quite shocking some hours previously.
The chief leader of gentlemanly fashion during this period was the dandy George ‘Beau’ Brummell. This arbiter of style wore a blue coat and light waistcoat for morning wear. These were accompanied either by breeches and top-boots or pantaloons (a longer form of legwear, ranging from mid-calf to ankle-length) and Hessian boots, decorated with tassels at the front, which had been adopted from military wear. His evening wear was worn with black pantaloons and accompanied by striped stockings made from silk. Breeches were an absolute necessity for a gentleman wishing to attend a ball at the exclusive Almack’s club in London. No less a personage than the Duke of Wellington was refused entry for failing to meet this requirement.
Regency court dress in Bridgerton
The most decadent and opulent clothing could be found in ‘court dress’. The style of which clung to the fashions of the previous century. In Bridgerton, we see the young women being presented to Queen Charlotte, desperate to become her ‘diamond’ of the season. Just as in the Netflix series, gowns were lavishly trimmed, worn with trains, and accompanied by headdresses decorated with ostrich feathers. Although the general fashion was for dresses with high waists and narrowed silhouettes, wide gowns (such as those worn by Queen Charlotte in Bridgerton) were still seen in court wear until 1820.
Men were also required to dress up for the court. Although gentlemanly fashions favoured simplicity and restraint, court wear was entwined with velvet coats and breeches, embroidery and buckled shoes.
Did they really behave like that in the Regency period?
Anyone who has read Jane Austen’s novels will know that the behaviour we see in Bridgerton is aimed at modern tastes. Writing from a contemporary perspective, Austen’s men are described as ‘making love’ when they fervently grab a hand, but who would want to do without the ‘carriage scene’ that finally brings Colin and Pen together?
- Mallory James is the author of Elegant Etiquette in the Nineteenth Century