Lillie Langtry

Lillie Langtry (née Emilie Charlotte Le Breton, nicknamed the Jersey Lily) (13 October 1853 - 12 February 1929) was a British actress born on the island of Jersey in 1853. Her father was the Dean of Jersey.

Cultural influence

Her nickname, "The Jersey Lily", was taken from the Jersey lily flower (Amaryllis belladonna) - a symbol of Jersey. The nickname was popularised by a portrait of Lillie Langtry, entitled A Jersey Lily, painted by Sir John Everett Millais, a fellow-countryman (according to tradition, they spoke Jèrriais to each other during the sittings). The painting caused great interest when exhibited at the Royal Academy, but Lillie is holding a Guernsey lily (Nerine sarniensis) in the painting rather than a Jersey lily, as no Jersey lilies were available at Covent Garden during the sittings.

Related Topics:
Amaryllis - John Everett Millais - Jèrriais - Royal Academy - Guernsey lily - Covent Garden

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Besides sitting for Millais, Frank Miles and Sir Edward Poynter, she is also depicted in works by Sir Edward Burne-Jones.

Related Topics:
Edward Poynter - Edward Burne-Jones

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She used her high public profile to endorse commercial products such as cosmetics and soap, becoming an early example of celebrity endorsement.

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Lillie Langtry's story was dramatised by London Weekend Television in 1978 as Lillie, with Francesca Annis in the title role. Annis had previously played Langtry in an episode of ATV's Edward VII. She was also portrayed on film by Lillian Bond in the film The Westerner, and by Ava Gardner in the 1972 movie The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean, and (a heavily fictionalized version) by Stacy Haiduk in the 1996 television series Kindred.

Related Topics:
London Weekend Television - 1978 - Lillie - Francesca Annis - ATV - Edward VII - Lillian Bond - The Westerner - Ava Gardner - 1972 - The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean - 1996 - Kindred

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