Origin of "roll out the red carpet"

[Douglas G. Wilson]

>... Now to "roll out the red carpet" and what seems like a plausible
>origin of it that I noticed today:
>
>    _King of Comedy_ by Mack Sennett (Doubleday, 1954), p. 27:
>'[Actress] Lily Langtry demanded that a carpet be laid down from her
>dressing room to the stage in order to protect her flowing
>petticoats.  The carpet was red and the legend of "Roll out the red
>carpet" started right there."

Let's assume that the event really occurred. Ms. Langtry began her acting
career in 1881 (says the book).

At MoA (Michigan) I see a book published in 1860 describing the Prince of
Wales' visit to Montreal; a red carpet was extended to his barge for his
use on his arrival.

In the London "Times" from 1886 (quoted in the Kingston "Gleaner" on-line)
there is a description of Queen Victoria's opening of the Colonial and
Indian Exhibition, with a red carpet laid along her procession route.

There are more such descriptions available.

Is there any reason to suppose that Ms. Langtry's red carpet (seen by a few
actors, stagehands, etc.?) was specifically immortalized while the other
ones used in public by British royalty (seen by thousands and described in
contemporary published accounts) were ignored or forgotten?

-- Doug Wilson