The Marlborough House set (also known as the smart set) was a social group that surrounded Edward, Prince of Wales, from the 1870s into his reign as King Edward VII (1901–1910). The group was centred on Pall Mall, the site of Edward's residence, Marlborough House, and the Marlborough Club with which he was closely associated.
The Marlborough House set enjoyed horse racing, hunting, shooting and playing cards. They often visited country houses for weekend-long parties, at which adultery was common. The set was condemned by some in society for its loose morals, but increased Edward's popularity with the general public.
The set included some of the leading bankers, politicians and lawyers of the day, and some members were rewarded with positions at court upon Edward's accession to the throne.
Establishment
The set was named after Marlborough House, a mansion situated between Pall Mall and The Mall in central London and located near to Buckingham Palace. Edward moved into Marlborough House in 1863 after his marriage to Alexandra of Denmark. At this time, the court of his mother Queen Victoria was in the early part of a long period for mourning after the 1861 death of her husband Albert, Prince Consort. Edward assumed many of the social responsibilities of the Crown, presiding over levees at the palace and holding balls and parties at Marlborough House. Edward had Marlborough House altered to provide larger ground floor rooms for entertaining and increased the staff there to more than 100 to support his functions, establishing in effect a second court.
When smoking was banned at the gentleman's club White's, Edward founded his own establishment, the Marlborough Club, in Pall Mall in 1869. Edward handpicked the first 400 members and the club soon became seen as an adjunct to his court at Marlborough House. The Marlborough House set developed in the 1870s around the house and club.
Activities
London society (ie. the upper class) grew in the 1880s and split into a number a separate cliques, of which the Marlborough House set was one part. The term "Marlborough House set" first came into use in the 1880s as it was noticed that the behaviour of its members was significantly different to the court around Victoria. According to historian James Stourton Edward wanted Marlborough House to be regarded as the "best kept house in London — even though many thought it had the worst morals". Edward was the undisputed leader of the set, which was the backdrop for many scandals. Edward expected the members to act with honour (though not necessarily with high morals). Adultery was common between the members, though divorce, as it would lead to public exposure, was seen as unacceptable. Edward enforced a strict formal dress code for the members of the set.
Key events in the social calendar of the set included horse race meetings, especially Royal Ascot, the Epsom Derby and the St Leger Stakes. Members also enjoyed shooting, hunting, playing cards and attending extravagant dinners. Edward and the set developed the concept of the country house weekend, ostensibly for the purposes of hunting and shooting. When the men returned to the host's house at tea time in the afternoon the women would dress in tea gowns, without corsets or petticoats and assignations would often take place. Country home owners spent vast sums to improve their buildings and furnishings ahead of these weekends. Witley Park in Surrey was a favourite location. Towards the end of the weekends the attendees were often formally photographed with Edward seated in the centre, the current hostess to his right and his current mistress to his left.
The Marlborough House set sometimes met with The Souls, another of the late Victorian social sets, though The Souls tended to be more political and intellectual. A favourite joke of Edward's whilst meeting with the Marlborough House set was to pour brandy over the head of Conservative politician Christopher Sykes. Among the members Edward was nicknamed "Tum-Tum", on account of his being overweight.