The ball dates to the 1840s, when George, Duke of Atholl and his wife, Anne, wanted to entertain their Scottish friends residing in London.^[2] By 1849, it had become a fundraiser for Scottish charities helping vulnerable schoolchildren, the homeless, and cancer patients.^[2]

The Royal Caledonian Ball has been held every year since, except during the Boer War, World War I and World War II; following the death of King Edward VII on 6 May 1910, and during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.^[3]

The ball has been under the royal patronage since Edward VII. Since the 1930s, the event has been held at the Grosvenor House Hotel on Park Lane, London.^[4] The Queen was often in attendance.^[5]

In recent years, the ball has been featured in the Bystander section of Tatler.^{[6][7][8][9][10][11][12]}

The Royal Caledonian Ball dress code stipulates that male attendees wear Highland evening dress, evening tails with white tie, or mess dress. Women should wear floor-length evening dress or mess dress; tartan sashes are encouraged.^[1]

Originally, men wore full evening tartan while women were dressed in white, with a tartan sash.^[13] Indeed, it was the only socially acceptable opportunity to wear full tartan outside Scotland.^[13]

The event is known for its Scottish country dancing, and it is traditional for guests at the ball to dance every reel:^[14][15]

Traditionally, the Duke and Duchess of Atholl are the first couple to start the dance, followed by his private army, the Atholl Highlanders.^[5]

The ball supports numerous charities in Scotland and has raised an estimated £3 million since its inception.^[16]

Among the charities the ball supports are Queen Victoria School in Dunblane, Erskine Hospital, and St Catherine’s Homeless Project in Edinburgh.^[14]

• Official website

51°30′35.0″N 0°09′17.3″W / 51.509722°N 0.154806°W / 51.509722; -0.154806