Around the turn of the century,
one hundred years ago now, a
beautiful, smart English actress
caught the eye of the world.

  Her name was Lillie Langtry,
and she not only became the
world's darling, she also
fascinated King Edward VII
who publicly acknowledged her
as his mistress, unheard of
in  this Victorian era. 

They were quite often seen
at the racetracks at Newmarket
where she owned several of her
own race horses.
  Not able to race under her own
name because she was a women,
she raced under the name of
"Mr. Jersey" and won many
important races.
 

She was not just a pretty face.
  She was an astute businesswomen
as well and was able to amass
a fortune which she used to travel
to America and eventually buy a
ranch which produced fine wines
in California.

Refusing to accept the strictness
imposed by Victorian society, she
deigned to enter establishments
intended for "men only" and kept
company with some of the most
influential men in history.
  Many people admired her, and
Judge Roy Bean even named his
fledgling town after her, still
known today as Langtry, Texas.

Now 100 years later, we look back
and realize how far women have come
since Lillie Langtry so ably helped
pave the way.