Ladies attending a State Ball at Buckingham Palace should wear the usual full evening dress; but they should not wear Court trains, or plumes, or lappets.
Gentlemen attending State Balls should wear uniform or full Court dress—dress coat, breeches and silk stockings, shoes and buckles; trousers can only be worn as part of a uniform, and not with a Court dress as generally worn at a levée.
A gentleman intending to dance should remove his sword, otherwise he should not do so.
When the Court is in mourning, ladies attending a State Ball should wear mourning according to the official notice which duly appears in the Gazette.
Gentlemen should wear crape on the left arm, which is supplied in the cloak-room of the Palace to those who have forgotten to provide themselves with it, as it is imperative, when the Court is in mourning, that a band of crape should be worn at either State Ball or State Concert.
The balls given by the princes and princesses of the blood royal are not State Balls, therefore Court dress is not worn by the gentlemen present.
They act as host and hostess at the balls given by them and receive their guests, shaking hands with them as they are announced.
Ladies and gentlemen do not take their cards of invitation with them to Buckingham Palace.