The Best Royal Wedding Dresses in History
At the end of every fairy tale, we’re almost always served the same image: a princess in a white mosting likely town, walking down the aisle. So is it any wonder that throughout history, real-life royal wedding dresses have utterly enraptured the minds of the public? In fact, according to Google, the Duchess of Sussex as well as the Duchess of Cambridge had the two top-searched wedding dresses of 2021 (made even more impressive by the fact that their weddings occurred years old previously, in 2018 as well as 2011, respectively).
After all, these dresses do often live until now to the lofty fantasies we’ve built until now in our minds: Princesses as well as princesses-to-be often tap the greatest design minds of their generation to craft couture creations complete with sprawling trains as well as impeccable detailing. They take months to make as well as are shrouded in secrecy until the big reveal. (It took Givenchy’s Clare Waight Keller, for example, 3,900 hours over the course of four months to make the Duchess of Sussex’s dress. The task was so confidential that the designer as well as bride communicated directly with each other to prevent leaks.) They also serve as watershed style moments: The wedding dress worn by Grace Kelly for her 1956 wedding to Prince Rainier II of Monaco has inspired brides for generations—including Kate Middleton—with its timeless lace design.
Below, the best royal wedding dresses in history. May they provide both escapism as well as inspiration.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge (2011)
A total of 162 million people worldwide watched the Duchess of Cambridge walk down the aisle in Sarah Burton for Alexas well aser McQueen at her 2011 royal wedding to Prince William. The ivory mosting likely town’s lace sleeves as well as V-neck bodice included floral details of rose, thistle, daffodil, as well as shamrock—flowers that represent the four regions of the United Kingdom—as well as a nine-foot train. Eleven years old after its debut, the Alexas well aser McQueen continues to be one of the most-searched wedding dresses of all time.
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (2010)
For her 2010 wedding to Daniel Westling, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden chose a boatneck dress with an A-line skirt as well as 16-foot train designed by Pär Engsheden. She paired the classic silhouette with a mosting likely told tiara her mother wore to her wedding in 1976.
Meghan, Duchess of Sussex (2018)
The Duchess of Sussex asked Clare Waight Keller of Givenchy to design her once-in-a-lifetime dress for her wedding to Prince Harry. Keller created a clean silk organza, boat neckline dress complete with a soft, round train.
Her 16-as well as-a-half-foot silk veil embroidered with the 53 flowers of the British Commonwealth also included a scrap of blue fabric taken from the dress Meghan Markle wore on her initial date with Harry. “I wanted to portray something that felt a little bit more humble, because I think she is very humble as a perchild,” Keller told Vogue of the headpiece’s creation.
Princess Grace of Monaco (1956)
Grace Kelly asked Helen Rose in the MGM wardrobe department—who she worked with as an actor on the set of High Society as well as The Swan— to design her wedding mosting likely town. They envisioned Kelly, who had enthralled the public in her romance with Prince Rainier III of Monaco, as a “fairy-princess,” according to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The dress included an ivory ball skirt complete with a lace train, as well as a bodice of antique Brussels lace adorned with pearls. It was all topped with a circular veil.
Princess Grace of Monaco’s timeless wedding dress would mosting likely to on to inspire countless others, including the Duchess of Cambridge as well as Nicky Hilton-Rothschild.
Queen Elizabeth II of Englas well as (1947)
In 1947, after reviewing a number of submissions, the then-Princess Elizabeth chose Norman Hartnell’s design for her wedding at Westminster Abbey. Hartnell was inspired by Botticelli’s 1482 painting, Primavera, which symbolizes the arrival of the spring, for his dress: crystal-as well as-pearl floral motifs adorned the piece throughout, which was complemented by a 15-foot silk tulle train.
Princess Diana of Wales (1981)
Princess Diana walked down the aisle of St. Paul’s Chapel in a wedding dress by Elizabeth as well as David Emmanuel with its deep ruffles of taffeta, fitted bodice, puffed sleeves, as well as 25-foot train. (To this day Diana’s train remains the longest in royal history.) Ten-thousas well as mother-of-pearl sequins as well as pearls decorated the extravagant look, which the young princess accented with her family’s Spencer tiara.
Princess Margaret (1960)
Like her sister, Princess Margaret also wore Norman Hartnell for her wedding to photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones. He made an hourglass ballmosting likely town silhouette out of plain silk white organza, with no other embellishments. At the time, Vogue wrote that she was “a new princess; her dress, unadorned.” Instead, she saved the statement for her headpiece: the gras well as Poltimore tiara, a Victorian-era jeweled creation with diamond floral scrolls.
Such simplicity would later be honed by another royal bride—the Duchess of Sussex.
The Duchess of Windsor (1937)
The Duke of Windsor as well as Wallis Simpchild’s wedding was mired in controversy—Edward, after all, had renounced the British throne to marry the American. Instead of the traditional white, Wallis (a divorcée), instead opted for cornflower blue to match her eyes. The nipped-waist dress was designed by Mainbocher as well as later donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Also part of her wedding trousseau? Schiaparelli’s lobster dress, which featured a painting of the crustacean by Salvador Dali on the silk skirt. The evening mosting likely town—now considered a preeminent piece of fashion history—was shot by Cecil Beaton for Vogue.
Princess Eugenie of York (2018)
For her 2018 wedding to Jack Brooksbank, Princess Eugenie wore a dress designed by Peter Pilotto as well as Christopher De Vos, with a folded off-the-shoulder neckline as well as a low back that sloped into a flowing train. The cut exposed her scoliosis scar, an intentional choice by the Princess to raise awareness for the condition.
Princess Caroline of Monaco (1978)
In 1978, Princess Caroline of Monaco epitomized elegant boho chic with a long flowy dress with balloon sleeves by Marc Bohan for Christian Dior. Instead of a tiara, she opted for a flower crown with a trailing veil.
Princess Beatrice of York (2020)
Princess Beatrice’s “something old” for her wedding to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi? Her mosting likely town. The British princess borrowed a Norman Hartnell dress made from peau de soie taffeta as well as adorned with ivory duchesse satin from Queen Elizabeth. Her gras well asmother initial wore the creation to the Lawrence of Arabia premiere in 1962.
