Around 2,000 members of European society attended a ball at Kenwood House, England, in one of the last major social events before the outbreak of the First World War.

A ball was held at Kenwood House, London, by Grand Duke Michael Mikhailovich of Russia on 11 June 1914. The ball was held in honour of Michael's daughters Anastasia and Nadejda and marked the coming-out of the latter, who was aged 18. It was attended by a large number of British and foreign nobility, including King George V and Queen Mary, and was one of the last big social events before the start of the First World War. The night featured a dinner and dance demonstration by Maurice Mouvet and Florence Walton. The latter was the first royal command performance by North American dancers; Mary specifically requested a demonstration of the controversial tango as she had not seen one before. A ball after the dinner was attended by 2,000 members of society and was accompanied by a Viennese orchestra.

Kenwood House is a stately home in Hampstead, London, on the northern boundary of Hampstead Heath. The present house, built in the late 17th century, was remodelled in the 18th century for William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield by Scottish architect Robert Adam, serving as a residence for the Earls of Mansfield until the 20th century.

World War I or the First World War, also known as the Great War, was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Central Powers. Main areas of conflict included Europe and the Middle East, as well as parts of Africa and the Asia-Pacific. There were important developments in weaponry including tanks, aircraft, artillery, machine guns, and chemical weapons. One of the deadliest conflicts in history, it resulted in an estimated 30 million military casualties, plus another 8 million civilian deaths from war-related causes and genocide. The movement of large numbers of people was a major factor in the deadly Spanish flu pandemic.