[2] The dress features a design representing the feathers of a peacock, a symbol of great significance in Indian culture and the Hindu religion, on a fabric traditionally worn by Mughal court rulers.

[3] Lady Curzon's dress was a reference to the Peacock Throne that originally stood in the Diwan-I-Khas palace, where the ball took place.

[4] It was then shipped to Paris, where the House of Worth styled the dress with a long train edged with white chiffon roses.

[1][5] The Viceroy, Lord Curzon, organised the second Delhi Durbar in 1903 to celebrate the 1902 coronation of King Edward VII, "the grandest pageant in history", which created a tremendous sensation, and served as a symbol of British rule over India.

[5] Lady Curzon was instrumental in promoting the use of Indian embroidery in Western fashion, and many of her friends ordered gowns from Worth using such decorations, though they generally used much less metal threadwork which weighed her dress down.