Society Hostess
Keppel became a key figure and one of the best known society hostesses of the Edwardian era. As a superb hostess, she treated even her enemies kindly, and invariably knew the choicest scandal, the price of stocks, and the latest political move. She had a sharp wit and grew up to become the typical aristocratic Scotswoman, but was also kind, without pettiness, prejudice or malice. She never spoke ill of anyone and almost never lost her temper. Her elder daughter wrote that "she not only had a gift of happiness but she excelled in making others happy, she resembled a Christmas tree laden with presents for everyone".
Sir Harold Acton, a writer, aesthete, and bon vivant of the next generation, who was a child during the Edwardian era, described Keppel: "None could compete with her glamour as a hostess. She could have impersonated Britannia in a tableau vivant and done that lady credit." Keppel was the inspiration behind the character "Mrs. Romola Cheyne" in Vita Sackville-West's novel, The Edwardians.
Keppel was considered one of the most beautiful women of her time. She was hailed as one of the beauties of the "naughty nineties". She had alabaster skin, big blue eyes, small waist, chestnut hair and a big bust.
Read more about this topic: Alice Keppel
Famous quotes containing the words society and/or hostess:
“... is it not clear that to give to such women as desire it and can devote themselves to literary and scientific pursuits all the advantages enjoyed by men of the same class will lessen essentially the number of thoughtless, idle, vain and frivolous women and thus secure the [sic] society the services of those who now hang as dead weight?”
—Sarah M. Grimke (1792–1873)
“You are retired
As if you were a feasted one and not
The hostess of the meeting.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)