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From Meghan Markle to Princess Diana: See the evolution of royal bridal style

21 May 2018

royal-bridal-style-evolution

Long sleeves, bridal trains and fairytale gowns.

For the royal family, tradition is, of course, of the greatest importance, and it certainly wouldn’t have been a surprise if Meghan’s gown featured a number of nods to royal brides from times past. Indeed, Kate Middleton’s Alexander McQueen gown, with its long lace sleeves, full skirt and cinched waist, has drawn comparisons to the Norman Hartnell creation worn by her grandmother-in-law Queen Elizabeth II on her wedding day in 1947.

So, what makes a classic royal wedding dress? Fashions may come and go (Princess Diana’s iconic Emanuel confection, which set the gold standard for ‘80s brides with its puffed sleeves and jaw-dropping train, is certainly a case in point) but a royal bride’s gown tends to follow a time-honoured formula: white or ivory satin, maybe a smattering of tulle and lace (made in a workshop in Honiton, East Devon), often with long sleeves and plenty of beaded embellishments.

Scroll through the gallery below to see the evolution of royal bridal style:

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Princess Beatrice, 1885

For her wedding to Prince Henry of Battenberg in 1885, Princess Beatrice, the youngest daughter of Queen Victoria, wore a fashionable white satin dress, trimmed with lace (which the Princess is said to have loved) and orange blossom. She was the only of Victoria’s daughters to wear her mother’s veil down the aisle, too.

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Princess Mary of Teck, 1893

The future Queen Mary’s wedding dress was designed by Arthur Silver of the Silver Studio, whose designs epitomised the Art Nouveau look. Her classic gown was embroidered with roses, shamrocks and thistles, with the choice of orange blossom for the trim echoed in small wreaths adorning her neckline and her hair. Her “something old” was a small piece of Honiton lace from her mother’s own wedding gown, with diamond jewellery from future mother-in-law Queen Victoria ticking off “something borrowed”.

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Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Queen Mother, 1923

The future Queen Mother’s wedding dress was quintessentially 1920s in style, with a simple drop waist. Designed by Madame Handley-Seymour, the dressmaker to Queen Mary, it was made of ivory silk crepe and embroidered pearls. Her Flanders lace veil was held in place by a wreath of orange blossom and white roses, the latter a nod to her future title the Duchess of York.

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Queen Elizabeth, 1947

Court couturier Norman Hartnell described the wedding gown of the then-Princess Elizabeth as “the most beautiful dress I had so far made”. Patterened with stars and floral embellishments, the dress – and its 13 foot train – was said to be inspired by Botticelli’s Primavera, and to symbolise the nation’s rebirth following the war. As clothing rationing was still in place (even for a Princess), Elizabeth had to purchase the fabric with ration coupons (though she was inundated with coupons from young women across the country, she had to return them to their owners).

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Princess Margaret, 1960

When Princess Margaret married photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones, she opted for a design by royal couturier Norman Hartnell. Comprising of 30 metres of silk organza, the dress’s simple shape and clean lines were designed to flatter the Princess’s petite frame.

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Princess Anne, 1973

Ahead of her marriage to Captain Mark Phillips, Princess Anne seemed to take sartorial inspiration from times past, specifically the court of Queen Elizabeth I. Her wedding gown designed by Maureen Baker for Susan Small, featured a Tudor-style high neck and sweeping, medieval-like sleeves.

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Diana, Princess of Wales, 1981

Lady Diana Spencer’s now iconic 1981 wedding dress set bridal trends for years to come, with its puffed sleeves, 25-foot train and full skirt. Designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, the ivory silk taffeta gown was embellished with tiny sequins and pearls in a heart motif.

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Sarah, Duchess of York, 1986

Lindka Cierach designed this quintessentially ’80s wedding dress for Sarah Ferguson’s wedding to Prince Andrew. Made from ivory duchesse satin, it boasted a 17-foot long train embroidered with bees and thistles (a nod to her family’s crest) and anchors and waves (symbolising Prince Andrew’s naval career). The York Diamond tiara which Fergie wore on the day was commissioned especially for her by her mother-in-law, the Queen.

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Sophie, Countess of Wessex, 1999

Samantha Shaw was tasked with designing and making a dress for the wedding of Sophie Rhys-Jones (now the Countess of Wessex) to the Queen’s youngest son, Prince Edward. The long-sleeved style was embellished with 325,000 cut glass and pearl beads.

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Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, 2005

Camilla’s embroidered coat in pale blue and gold and matching chiffon gown were designed by Robinson Valentine for her wedding to the Prince of Wales at St George’s Chapel, Windsor. Her statement headpiece – which featured Swarowski diamonds – was the handiwork of the royal family’s favourite milliner, Philip Treacy.

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Autumn Phillips, 2008

Canadian-born Autumn Kelly opted for a classic gown by British designer Sassi Holford, which featured a bodice fashioned from hand-beaded lace and a silk duchesse skirt, worn with a beaded shrug, when she married Peter Phillips, son of Princess Anne. The Festoon tiara which the bride wore on the day was borrowed from the collection of her mother-in-law.

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Zara Tindall, 2011

Zara Phillips wore a simple, classic gown with a full skirt and corseted bodice by Stewart Parvin, one of her grandmother the Queen’s favourite couturiers, when she married rugby player Mike Tindall at Canongate Kirk in Edinburgh. The diamond tiara was the bride’s “something borrowed”, a loan from her mother Princess Anne.

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Kate Middleton, The Duchess of Cambridge, 2011

Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen landed the biggest fashion gig of the century so far when she was chosen by Kate Middleton to design a dress for her Westminster Abbey wedding to Prince William. The gown itself was made from ivory satin with long lace sleeve and floral motifs which were cut from machine-made lace then appliqued onto silk net by workers at the Royal School of Needlework.

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Meghan Markle, The Duchess of Sussex, 2018

Meghan Markle chose Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy to design her classic gown with longsleeve, a high neckline and a dramatic train which featured floral motifs representing each country in the Commonwealth. The Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau tiara she wore was loaned to her by the Queen.

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