The British Newspaper Archive Blog Lillie Langtry, born on 13 October 1853 – a gallery of newspaper illustrations and a very gossipy story

Emilie Charlotte Le Breton (aka Lillie Langtry and ‘Jersey Lily’) was born in Jersey on 13 October 1853.

Langtry was one of the most famous artists of the Victorian era, and was also the mistress of the Prince of Wales from 1877 to 1880.

Included below are illustrations of Langtry playing Rosalind (in As You Like It) and Miss Hardcastle (in She Stoops to Conquer), and also an advert from 1892 in which she luxuriously (and rather risquely) promotes Pears Soap.

Oh, and we’ve also included a very gossipy story (taken from a court case in 1889) about how much it cost to feed Mrs Langtry on a daily basis (£3, which is about £180 in today’s money). Hmm, it seems that Lillie Langtry’s former cook believed she was very ‘high maintenance’ when it came to meal times.

The Graphic – Saturday 08 March 1890

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000057/18900308/002/0002

The Graphic – Saturday 11 February 1882

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000057/18820211/018/0017

The Graphic – Saturday 13 February 1892

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000057/18920213/040/0030

Liverpool Echo – Friday 21 June 1889

http://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000271/18890621/037/0004