Lillie Langtry 1852-1929

Born in 1853 as the only daughter of the Dean of Jersey, Channel Islands, Rev. William Corbet le Breton, Emilie Charlotte, and was laid to rest in Monaco 1929 after a successful acting career, "As you like it" and "The Degenerates" both in the US as well as in Britain. Her last name "Langtry" was all that remained of an unsuccessful marriage (1873) to Edward Langtry, who she later divorced after have been known as the mistress of the prince of Wales. She was known for her great wit and intelligence as well as her great beauty.

Her trademark figure symbolized the Victorian ideal of a curvaceous well-developed and tightly corseted figure. From her late teens to her late thirties, she reportedly maintained a 19" waist.

Her story was aired by the BBC series "Lillie" and portrayed by Francesca Annis. The costumes, including the undergarments, were specifically designed around her physique by Linda Mattock. Francesca when queried on the corseting said: "I have no issues wearing tight corsets, as they are an essential element of the character". Francesca, naturally very slim, became exceptionally thin when corseted.