300 Pounds of Caviar, Champagne Sorbet, and More Ways to Party Like a Royal

On October 14, 1971 , over 100 guests feasted on 300 pounds of caviar, imperial peacock, and Champagne sorbet.

Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi , the last Shah of Iran , threw a banquet in a silk-canopied banquet hall near the ancient city of Persepolis , in Iran .

In 41 BC , Cleopatra hosted a dinner to celebrate the Roman leader Mark Antony , who was a well-known party animal.

The Egyptian queen used her sumptuous banquets as a way to shock, awe, and inebriate potential allies and enemies alike.

In 1398 , Queen Isabeau of France threw a masque to celebrate the marriage of her lady-in-waiting.

The Danish king Christian IV came on a state visit to see his sister, Anna , and her husband, James I of England , in 1606 .

In 1606 , the court put on an elaborate pageant recreating Solomon’s Temple .

There were balls, tournaments, lotteries, and performances of a new play by Molière and a ballet by Jean-Baptiste Lully .

Marie Antoinette , a legendary hostess, was particularly targeted for her love of entertaining, especially her epic gambling parties.

The doomed Russian royal family would also throw a legendary soiree that symbolized their dynasty 's excesses.