The 10 best wedding dresses of the royal weddings
From Meghan Markle's minimal chic Givenchy dress to Grace Kelly's iconic lace and taffeta outfit
December 28th, 2020
From Cinderella to Snow White, old school Disney fairy tales have taught us that princesses marry their prince charming in a glittering, voluminous white gown. If for common and celebrities this cliché seems to be obsolete and replaced by alternative and more contemporary silhouettes and colors, the royals keep carrying on the most classic of fairy tale traditions. Who does not remember the meringue style model worn by Lady Diana for her wedding with Charles or the opulent creation with golden details showed off by Rania of Jordan on her special day? Both dresses were not beautiful at all, but they were popular and copied because they were worn by two iconic women.
More recently, Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are the two fashion brides to be inspired by, but there are also other women who, despite the strict ceremonial and archaic dress codes, have been able to give a touch of personal style to their wedding dress.
nss G-club picked 10 of them for our list of the most beautiful royal wedding dresses.
Meghan Markle in Givenchy
The groom: Prince Henry of Wales
When: May 19th, 2018
The dress: the former actress walked down the aisle of St. George Chapel in a Givenchy silk cady gown with a boat neckline and 3/4 sleeves. Accessorizing Clare Waight Keller's creation, Meghan chose a pair of pumps by Aquazzura, diamond jewelry by Cartier and a diamond-studded platinum tiara called the Queen Mary, which, made in 1932, once belonged to Queen Mary, wife of George V and grandmother of Queen Elizabeth. The silk tulle veil was 5 meters long and embroidered with 53 flowers symbolizing the Commonwealth countries, plus a winter calycanthus, like the ones growing in front of the Kensington Palace cottage, and a California poppy, recalling the bride's U.S. origins. During the evening reception at Frogmore House Meghan wore a halter dress by Stella McCartney.
Sofia Hellqvist in Ida Sjöstedt
The groom: Prince Carl Philip of Sweden
When: 13th June 2015
The dress: Sofia married her Swedish prince in a romantic lace and organza dress in three different shades of white, designed by Ida Sjöstedt and completed with a long train. Her hairstyle was a low chignon, made more precious by a diamond and emerald tiara.
Beatrice Borromeo in Armani Privè
The groom: Pierre Casiraghi
When: August 1st, 2015
The dress: Beatrice Borromeo changed 5 outfits for her wedding. For the civil ceremony, she wore an ethereal mauve long dress by Valentino Haute Couture; followed by a white and silver dress, also by Valentino Maison, for the evening party at the Hotel de Paris. New location (Stresa) and new looks: a romantic and boho dress by Alberta Ferretti to welcome guests at the pre-party held the day before the wedding; an ivory Chantilly lace Armani Privè model with three-quarter sleeves and a round neckline for the religious ceremony; while for the after-party she opted for another white Armani in silk tulle, with a deep V-neckline, embellished with micro drapes on the bodice and a long train in pleated silk tulle.
Kate Middleton in Alexander McQueen
The groom: Prince William of Wales
When: April 29th, 2011
The dress: the highlight of the most important royal wedding in recent years was the dress designed for Kate Middleton by Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen. The model was inspired by the one worn by Grace Kelly for her wedding with Rainier III of Monaco, specifically the lace that covered both the sleeves and the ivory silk satin bodice, embellished with 58 small buttons in gazar and organza. The silhouette of the dress was completed by a skirt draped in a flower-like manner, as in the traditional Victorian style. On the head, in addition to the veil, Kate wore the Halo tiara by Cartier, dating back to 1936 and lent by Queen Elizabeth II.
Charlene Wittstock in Armani Privé
The groom: Prince Albert II of Monaco
When: July 2nd, 2011
The dress: the former swimmer wore a creation by Armani Privè, minimal and precious, made by three skilled tailors with about 2,500 hours of work. The dress, in matte white silk duchesse, was decorated with a floral ramage embroidery obtained by putting together 40,000 Swarovski crystals, 20,000 drops of golden mother of pearl and 30,000 golden rhinestones.
Letizia Ortiz in Manuel Pertegaz
The groom: King Felipe of Spain
When: May 22nd, 2004
The dress: rumor has it that, with its value of 7 million euros, the dress that Letizia Ortiz chose to marry Prince Felipe of Spain is the most expensive in history. The former journalist wore a custom-made model by Manuel Pertegaz with a rigorous, almost hieratic line, inspired by Renaissance aesthetics. The details were an homage to the royal family. On the skirt, collar and veil, in fact, stood out the embroidery, a silver thread that drew a lily, the flower symbol of the dynasty of the Bourbons of Spain and the Capetian house.
Rania Al-Yassin in Bruce Oldfield
The groom: Prince Abdullah of Jordan
When: June 10th, 1993
The dress: Rania of Jordan married Prince Abdullah in an elaborate gown, created by British designer Bruce Oldfield, consisting of a jacket top and full skirt. The white of the outfit was enhanced by precious gold trim.
Diana Spencer in David & Elizabeth Emanuel
The groom: Prince Charles of Wales
When: July 29th, 1981
The dress: with its 8 meters of ivory taffeta and 7 meters of the train, Lady D's wedding dress has made history and came back to the center of attention thanks to the fourth season of The Crown. The model created for her by Elizabeth and David Emanuel fully reflects the eccentric and baroque style of the 80s and seems to have cost over 160 thousand euros. It was designed to evoke the dresses of fairy tale princesses, but not everyone knows that it was hiding a little secret added between the embroidery: a small horseshoe in 18-carat gold studded with diamonds as a good luck charm.
Caroline of Monaco in Christian Dior
The groom: Phillipe Junot
When: June 28th, 1978
The dress: the wedding only lasted a couple of years, but her look is unforgettable. Caroline of Monaco walked down the aisle in a boho-chic Dior by Marc Bohan gown in French lace finished with handmade trimmings and flowers. Flowers also adorned her hairstyle, a double bun that evoked that of Shakespeare's Juliet.
Grace Kelly in Helen Rose
The groom: Prince Rainier III of Monaco
When: 18th April 1956
The dress: the actress's dress has become one of the favorite inspirations for royal and common brides: long sleeves, a lace corset with a mandarin collar, closed frontally by mother-of-pearl buttons, and a taffeta balloon skirt. It was a gift from Metro Goldwyn Meyer and was created by the studio's costume designer, Helen Rose, who was famous for her mastery in working with the most delicate fabrics, to the point of being nicknamed "the Lady of Chiffon". It seems that it required 24 meters of silk taffeta, 24 meters of gros de longre and 270 meters of fine Valenciennes lace. Instead of the tiara, to fix the veil, Grace Kelly chose a Juliet cap, adorned with lace, orange blossoms and jewels.