The Days I Knew

By Lillie Langtry

Book Overview

"The Days I Knew" is the captivating memoir of Lillie Langtry, one of the most celebrated and influential figures of the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Famously known as the "Jersey Lily," Langtry provides an intimate look into her extraordinary journey from a clergyman's daughter on the Isle of Jersey to becoming a world-renowned actress and a central figure in the highest circles of British society.

In this autobiography, Langtry recounts her experiences on the stage and her personal interactions with many of the most prominent individuals of her day, including celebrated artists, powerful politicians, and members of the British royal family. The narrative details her rise to fame, her ventures in the theatrical world of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and the social complexities she navigated with legendary charm and resilience.

More than a simple collection of reminiscences, "The Days I Knew" serves as a vital historical record of a bygone age. It captures the spirit of an era defined by grand social shifts and provides a unique perspective on the life of a woman who stepped beyond the traditional roles of her time to achieve international stardom and independent success.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you may see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.

This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.

As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 102558578X
• ISBN13: 9781025585789
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 338 Pages
• Weight: 1.43 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 6.1" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

A woman to love

Great read. A dyanmic personality of her time. I didn't know what to excpect when I got this book, but alas, Lillie didn't let me down. Confession time: I'm not new to Lillie Langtry's life. I've read all the books about her and everyone was worth the read. I only wish I'd been alive back then to meet her. I'm not sure any of today's actresses are as bright, quick witted, and talented as Lillie was. Great book. Thanks.

Lillie Langtry's own story

Lillie Langtry led a long and eventful life and she recounts her story here with great liveliness and humour. She tells of her Jersey childhood, growing up a tomboy in a large family of brothers who encouraged her to join them in their sometimes hair-raising exploits. then there is the mystery of her marriage to Edward Langtry. Why would a girl who could have married almost anybody have chosen to marry someone so dull? Part of the reason perhaps is that she seems to have been naively unaware of how extremely attractive she was. She married quietly in her travelling dress, because, she says 'I hated the idea of a big wedding and the conventional bridal array' (how I agree with her about that!) She and her new husband spent their honeymoon yachting, which she loved, and then there is the excitment of her introduction into fashionable London society, and the sensation she created there. She says nothing at all about her affair with the Prince of Wales, he is mentioned only as a friend, you would never know from reading this book that she had been his mistress. However, there is plenty of interest in her accounts of her friendships with Oscar Wilde and Sarah Bernhardt, and of her painting by Millais. Then there is the shock of finding herself and her husband bankrupt, and her determination to earn some money (it never seems to have occured to Mr Langtry to try and earn any money, he just kept on fishing). Her decision to become an actress paid off, she was a great success and quickly became famous and wealthy. There is much humour in the book. One of my favourite passages describes her first voyage to America, when the ship she was ttravelling on encountered rough weather, and she found the corridors full of water: 'I waded along the passage ankle-deep in water until I came upon a steward cleaning shoes at the foot of the gangway. On asking him in a terrified whisper, "Is the ship going down?" he replied "D'ye think if the ship was in danger I'd be here brushing boots?". This seemed such a sensible process of reasoning that I returned with complete confidence to my berth.' In America Mrs Langtry was a great success, and enjoyed the remarkable honour of having a town in Texas named after her, by Roy Bean. He hoped she would be able to visit the town, but she regretfully was unable to manage it on that trip. When she offered to send the town a drinking fountain as a present 'Bean's quick reply was that it would be quite useless, as the only thing the citizens of Langtry did NOT drink was water.' On a later trip she did manage to visit Langtry, and received a very warm welcome from the citizens, who presented her with a brown bear to add to her menagerie of pets. When they tried to get it onto the train it escaped, somewhat to Mrs Langtry's relief. The exciting episode of the stealing of her valuable collection of jewellery is told in some detail, the jewels were never found but it does not seem to have perturbed Mrs Langtry unduly, sh