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Kate Middleton on her wedding day to Prince William
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The 10 Most Iconic Royal Wedding (and Reception) Dresses Of All Time!


Shivani Dawett
Shivani Dawett Updated:
11th of December 2023

Let's look back on some of the iconic looks from royal weddings throughout the years. From the late Queen's Mother's wedding outfit in 1921 to Princess Beatrice's wedding gown in 2020, there are many royal wedding looks that are iconic for their own reasons.

We are here to discuss the details of each outfit and why each one was such a memorable look. You may even gain the royal wedding inspiration you need for your wedding day!

Queen Elizabeth II's Wedding Dress - 1947

The Queens Wedding Dress - Guides for Brides
Courtesy of Royal.uk

The then Princess Elizabeth wore an A-line wedding gown with a heart shaped neckline that featured long, tight sleeves designed by well-respected British designer, Norman Hartnell. The dress itself was a corset style and cinched at the waist. It was apparently inspired by the Botticelli painting Primavera. The dress material was an ivory silk with floral designs of jasmine, smilax, lila and rose-like blossoms added to the train. It was also beautifully embellished with white crystals and pearls. The decorative design of the flowers was supposed to represent the birth and regrowth of Britain following the second world war.

Fun fact: Given the rationing of clothing at the time, she still had to purchase the material using ration coupons. She apparently saved these up and was given a little help from the government in the form of 200 extra ration coupons. But she was also sent ration coupons by admirers around the country to help her get the material for her wedding dress. However, Elizabeth had to return these coupons as it wasn't legal for people to give their coupons away! A very sweet gesture though.

Wallis Simpson's Wedding Dress - 1937

Wallis Simpsons Wedding Dress - Guides for Brides
littleaugury.blogspot.com

This dress is almost as notorious as the relationship itself. Socialite Wallis Simpson wore a blue wedding dress to her big day marrying the Duke of Windsor. He had recently renounced his title as King Edward VIII and abdicated the throne to marry her. At the time it was considered inappropriate for a bride to wear white on her second wedding (or third in this case). Her dress was in a colour that was dubbed "Wallis Blue", the designer, Mainbocher, made the colour for her in previous work they did. It is said, the colour made her eyes look amazing!

Simpson's wedding dress was a very minimalist, yet stunning tailored silk dress. It had a sleek floor-length skirt and a wide-fitting waistband. It had delicate buttons on the waist and a gathered bodice. The dress is a prime example of 1930s womenswear at the time.

Kate Middleton's Wedding Ceremony Gown - 2011

Kate Middletons Wedding Ceremony Dress - Guides for Brides
Pascal Le Segretain / Getty Images

For her wedding to Prince William, the Duchess of Cambridge wore a beautiful wedding gown designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen. Kate chose the brand because of “the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing”.

The gown was created using white and ivory satin gazar. It features a flattering v-neckline with long lace sleeves and lace detailing throughout. On the bodice and skirt, details in hand-cut English lace and French Chantilly lace have been delicately appointed. The padded hips and narrowed waist of the bodice was a nod to the British tradition of corsetry and gave Kate a beautiful silhouette fit for a princess. The whole look of the gown was very much a nod to the Victorian era. 58 buttons covered in gazar and organza completed the gown. Her look was accessorised with a waist-length veil and her “something borrowed”, which was the Queen's Cartier halo tiara.

Kate Middleton's Wedding Reception Gown - 2011

Kate and Duchess of Cornwall heading to evening reception
Courtesy of Getty Images

Sarah Burton also designed The Duchess of Cambridge's reception dress. Another stunning Alexander McQueen gown, this look was much more relaxed than the ceremony dress but was still perfectly designed for her. For the reception dress, Kate chose a white strapless satin gown with a sparkling belt adding detailing around the waist. The elegant A-line skirt gave a nod to the wedding dress she had worn to her ceremony earlier that day. She completed the look with a warm and dainty white shrug.

Meghan Markle Wedding Ceremony Gown - 2018

Meghan Markles Wedding Ceremony Dress - Guides for Brides
Jane Barlow

Givenchy's Clare Waight Keller designed Meghan Markle's wedding dress for her marriage to Prince Harry. According to Tatler, her gown was voted the most popular wedding dress of the 2010s. Claire Waight Keller is well known for her elegant and simple designs. This was reflected in Meghan's dress which was a very minimal look with an off-the-shoulder, bateau neckline and long sleeves.

In contrast, her veil was very detailed. It was 5 metres in length and beautiful floral embellishments. The design embraced the flora of the commonwealth around the circumference of the material. The veil was made from silk tulle and the hand-embroidered flowers were made from silk threads and organza.

Meghan Markle Wedding Reception Gown - 2018

Meghan Markles Wedding Reception Dress - Guides for Brides
STEVE PARSONS - WPA POOL/GETTY

Meghan's second wedding look was designed by world-renowned British designer, Stella McCartney. As with her ceremony dress, this bespoke gown was a very simple and minimal look. The dress design was an incredible, lily white halter neck with a more fitted and sexier silhouette made of silk crepe. The silhouette was ideal for a relaxed reception and would be perfect for dancing the night away in celebration with their close friends and family.

Princess Eugenie's Wedding Dress - 2018

Princess Eugenie’s Wedding Dress - Guides for Brides
Toby Melville - WPA Pool/Getty Images

Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank in 2018. Her wedding dress was designed by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, the faces behind fashion brand Peter Pilotto. It featured a wide V-shape neckline and a cinched waist. The dress folds at the shoulders and elegantly shapes into a low-v back replicating the front of the dress in a way that is elegant and sophisticated. It then flows into a sophisticated full length train, perfect for a princess!

Eugenie specifically requested the low v-shape back as it showed off the scars from her childhood surgery for Scoliosis. She didn't wear a veil so that her scar would be a key feature. For the details of the dress, the designers included a number of lace symbols on the gown that are important to the bride and groom. These included a Thistle for Scotland, a Shamrock for Ireland, the York Rose, and ivy. She accessorised her look with the Queen's Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara. This was lent to her by her grandmother for the wedding.

Princess Diana's Wedding Dress - 1981

Princess Dianas Wedding Dress - Guides for Brides
PA Media

In the 1980s, the Royal Family were at the height of their popularity and so it is no surprise that Princess Diana's wedding dress is seen as iconic. The ivory taffeta gown was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel. The bodice of the gown featured a piece of antique Carrick-ma-cross lace that once belonged to Queen Mary, Prince Charles' great grandmother.

Diana's gown had a 25 foot train and a 140 metre veil - another reason why her look is so iconic. Emanuel described it as a dress that "had to be something that was going to go down in history, but also something that Diana loved", and which would be "suitably dramatic in order to make an impression."

Princess Beatrice's Wedding Dress - 2020

Princess Beatrice’s Wedding Dress - Guides for Brides
Left: Benjamin Wheeler / Right: PA Wire via Getty Images

​​Princess Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020. They had an intimate, covid-safe micro-wedding ceremony in Windsor. Normally the Royals will use a luxury designer to create a unique and one of a kind wedding dress, however, Princess Beatrice went for a different route. She went vintage (and sustainable!) and wore one of the Queen's gowns. Of course, there was some personalisation involved to not only make the dress fit, but be more suitable for a modern bride. The Queen's trusted dressmakers were brought in to remodel the dress and ensure it was tailored for the Princess.

The biggest additions to the original dress were the added short puff sleeves. These were cuffed at the hem and feature the same border design as the original dress. The shape of the gown was also altered to be more modern and went from a bubble-esque skirt to a softer A-line look. Most of the Royal wedding gowns feature a special, personal motif, however as this dress had been passed down no additional motifs were added. However, we would argue that wearing your grandmother's gown is a perfect personal addition.

Queen Elizabeth's Wedding Dress - 1921

The Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth’s Wedding Dress - Guides for Brides
Pictorial Press Ltd / Alamy Stock Photo

Queen Elizabeth II's Mother's wedding dress was incredibly fashion-forward for it's time! She clearly rebelled against the standard traditions with her wedding dress design! Queen Elizabeth wore a drop waist design which was popularised by Coco Chanel. Her look certainly reflects that iconic 1920s silhouette. The gown was created by the dressmaker to Queen Mary, Madame Handley-Seymour, and reportedly based on a dress created by Jeanne Lanvin.

The gown was made from a deep ivory chiffon moire, embroidered with pearls and a silver thread. She also chose to add several personal touches to the gown and it featured two trains, one from the shoulder and one from the hips. Overall, a very 1920s flapper vibe that rebelled against your typical royal wedding dress!

Inspired by these royal wedding looks? If you want to pay homage to Elizabeth II's choices on your wedding day, read our Get The Look article.

Shivani Dawett

About the author


Shivani Dawett

Shivani is a lover of all things wedding, she has a particular eye for fashion and beauty trends. Also a highly skilled dancer and choreographer, Shivani is the best person to speak to if you are wanting first dance advice whether your style is Classic, Bollywood or even Street Dance!

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