Langtry, << LANG tree, >> Lillie (1853-1929), was an English actress. She became one of the first high society women of her day to go on the stage.
Langtry was born Emilie Charlotte Le Breton on Oct. 13, 1853, on the island of Jersey. Her father was the dean of Jersey, a high official in the Church of England. Langtry also was an intimate friend of the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VII. Because of her high social position, Langtry caused a sensation when she performed in 1881 as Kate Hardcastle in Oliver Goldsmith’s She Stoops to Conquer. She became known as “The Jersey Lily” as a result of her birthplace and her outstanding beauty. Langtry gained wide attention when she later toured South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States as an actress. From 1901 to 1903, she managed the Imperial Theatre in London. Her autobiography, The Days I Knew, was published in 1925. Langtry died on Feb. 12, 1929.
