What was the Demi-monde in the Regency Era? Regency Romance Research

If I had to classify Kitty’s existence as the demi-monde in For the Love of a Courtesan, I would say that she had been on the fringes of that society. Seeing how the demi-monde was on the fringes of society to start out with, she was pretty far on the outskirts. However, that was her past. For over half the book, and for her debut in the series, she was a maid.

Title: For the Love of a Courtesan

Series: Lords of Seductive Language, Book 3

Page Count: 194

Publication Date: November 27, 2024

Author: Lyrica Lovell

What was the demi-monde in Regency England?

The Demi-monde is prominently featured in Regency romance novels. The genre hosts a wide range of reactions to it, from scandalous (and it should be completely avoided in some books) to flirted with as side characters, to even the main character being a member of the demi-monde. But what was the demi-monde? Well, to start off with, it is actually a French term. It didn’t even come from Regency England. In French, it refers to a woman who was on the fringes of society. Typically, these women were courtesans supported by wealthy lovers. During the Regency era, having a mistress or courtesan was the “height of wealth and fashion” for many young men. Often, a woman who served in these roles was known as being “in keeping” instead of part of the demi-monde. While some romance novels act like the demi-monde was shunned, many men actually paraded these women through Hyde Park and other places, as well as bought them lavish gifts and townhouses in nice areas.

Was the Demi-monde accepted in society?

Men accepted them in certain places and flaunted them, in fact. However, women were not supposed to “know of such things.” However, as the demi-monde rose in popularity, some influential women would attend parties hosted by the demi-monde, became curious about these women’s lifestyles, or even invited them to balls and events. For the most part, these look like more fringe occurrences, but there is some evidence that it happened. The women of the demi-monde were not fully accepted in society. One translation for the demi-monde is literally half-world.

Was the term used in Regency England?

While the term is undoubtedly used in romance novels, whether it was actually used in Regency England is up for debate. The demi-monde was a French term with some origins linking it to a French play that was written in 1855, which would have been after the Regency era. However, some sources still say that it was used in England and France prior to the release of the play.

Fiction Vs. Reality

Like I said earlier, Kitty was on the fringes of this society. She was not a kept woman or an exclusive courtesan, but the title went into my series, so I wanted to make it work. Basically, she would have been a very low-level courtesan at best and was a ladybird at words. By society’s standards, her popularity made her sought after, but she was very much on the fringes of an already fringed society. She worked at an elite brothel for almost four years before meeting North for the first time and then eventually running away to a “far off land,” or at least far to her, to work as a laundry maid. In the book, her shift is one of morality and necessity. However, she eventually gets her happily ever after.