For the second royal ball in June, 1845, the period of George II.
(1727-1760) was selected, and 1200 guests were invited. The Queen looked
extremely well in powder, and her dress is described as of cloth of gold
and cloth of silver, with daisies and poppies worked in silk, and shaded
in natural colours. The trimmings and ruffles of exquisite point
lace--had belonged to Queen Charlotte--and the stomacher was trimmed
with lace and jewels. The sacque was ornamented with ribbons, caught
with diamonds. On the powdered coiffure was a diamond crown; Her
Majesty's white shoes had red rosettes with diamond centres, and she
wore the star and ribbon of the Order of the Garter. Prince Albert had a
costume of the same period, with the Star of the Garter, and the Order
of the Golden Fleece in brilliants. The Marchioness of Douro, the Duke
of Wellington's daughter-in-law, was the acknowledged belle of this
ball, and wore £60,000 worth of diamonds. Miss--now the
Baroness--Burdett Coutts was also present, her dress trimmed with jewels
once the property of Marie Antoinette.
In 1871 the Princess of Wales attended the Waverley Ball at Willis'
Rooms, with several other members of the Royal Family, and was much
admired in the character of the ill-fated Mary Stuart. On July 22nd,
1874, a fancy dress ball was given by their Royal Highnesses the Prince
and Princess of Wales at Marlborough House, for which some beautiful
costumes were prepared. The Princess wore a handsome Venetian dress, and
danced in the first quadrille with the present Duke of Devonshire. The
Prince in a Cavalier costume opened the ball with the late Duchess of
Sutherland. The chief costume quadrilles on this occasion were the
Venetian, the Vandyck, Characters in Fairy Tales, and a Pack of Cards.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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