What It Was Like to Attend the Imperial Hofball

<p>During the reign of Emperor Franz Josef (1848&ndash;1916), the&nbsp;<em>hofball</em>&nbsp;was the biggest party of the year. Of the two royal balls held during Carnival season, the hofball was the larger and less exclusive.</p> <p>No one got an invitation. A royal announcement was simply posted, and anyone eligible to attend court could show up. That included diplomats, nobles, churchmen, politicians, and soldiers of the Vienna garrison. For non-royals, this was their best &mdash; and possibly only &mdash; chance to see what life was like behind palace walls.</p> <p><a href="https://jenniwiltz.medium.com/what-it-was-like-to-attend-the-imperial-hofball-fa55aa21ba45"><strong>Website</strong></a></p>