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", Lady of Lyons", "Anthony and Cleopatra" 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 publically 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 was representative of the Victorian ideal with a tall, curvaceous well developed and tightly corseted figure. From her late teens to her late thirties, she reportedly maintained an intial 38"-18"-38" figure, and was able to maintain 40"-19"-42" into her fourties.
Her story was aired by the BBC series "Lillie" and portrayed by Francesca Annis.
The period costumes were specifically designed around her physique by Linda Mattock, including the undergarments.
Francesca when queried on the corseting, said: "I have no issues wearing tight corsets, as they are an essential element of the character".
Francesca, smaller than Lillie in overall build and naturally slim, became exceptionally thin when corseted, in part to preserve Lillie's exceptional proportions.
