Exploring The Intrigue Of Royal Wedding Gowns
Over 29 million people turned on their television sets to watch Prince Harry married Meghan Markle. They saw Meghan walk down the aisle wearing a Clare Waight Keller-designed wedding dress. The dress featured a bateau neckline, three-quarter sleeves and a flowing train. Flowers representing all 53 United Kingdom countries was embroidered on her five-meter-long veil. If you are a bride looking to recreate a royal wedding, then there are several wedding dress styles that have been worn throughout time.
Queen Victoria’s Wedding Dress
One of the simplest wedding dresses worn throughout history was the wedding dress worn by Queen Victoria. This dress made of cream-colored white satin trimmed with bobbin lace handmade in Honiton, Devon, England. She is often credited with starting the tradition of wearing white wedding dresses. Her veil measuring 4 yards long and 0.75 yards wide matched the flounce on her wedding gown. She wore orange blossoms in her hair as they were seen as a sign of fertility.
Queen Elizabeth’s Wedding Dress
When Princess Elizabeth (now Queen Elizabeth II) married Prince Phillip in 1934, she wore a duchesse-satin wedding dress. The dress featured a fitted bodice and a full skirt embroidered with a floral design. Attached to the shoulders was a 13-foot embroidered silk tulle full court train. Queen Elizabeth wore a 14-foot-long fan-shaped train.
Princess Di’s Wedding Dress
One of the most elaborate royal wedding dresses of all time was worn by Prince Harry’s mother. The wedding dress of Lady Diana Spencer made of ivory silk taffeta and antique lace featured a 25-foot train. Making this dress even more remarkable it had a 153-yard tulle veil. While some experts felt that the dress swallowed Princess Di, many women shopping for wedding dresses drew inspiration from it. They started requesting large puffed sleeves, soft touch fabrics and full skirts.
While it is still too early to tell if Meghan Markle’s dress will inspire brides in the years to come, there is a good indication that it will based on their experience of Prince Harry’s mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Visit our bridal boutique to get inspired by our great selection of wedding dresses.