The subtle distinction: Court Ball and Ball at Court: Zitat 1
From a letter written by Franz Joseph to Elisabeth:
Today is the great Court Ball, which, as always, will be a rather arduous pleasure.
The ball was very crowded, particularly large numbers of ladies, dancing as well, not many pretty ones among them, not hot at all. I was in my room by 12.
From: Nostitz-Rieneck, Georg: Briefe Kaiser Franz Josephs an Kaiserin Elisabeth (Vienna 1966), 342 ff. (quoted from: Das Zeitalter Kaiser Franz Josephs. 2. Teil: 1880-1916 Glanz und Elend. Exhibition catalogue, 1987, here 171).
