When it comes to royal weddings, the bridal dresses are always extraordinary.
These gowns, often custom-made by famous designers, are designed to impress and become a part of fashion history.
These dresses have been worn by British royals over many decades, from Queen Elizabeth II to Princess Beatrice.
10 British Royal Wedding Dresses
Here are some of the best royal wedding dresses ever.
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding to Prince Philip took place after World War II, during a time of rationing. The government gave her extra coupons to pay for her dress.
Designer Norman Hartnell created the gown, which he called “the most beautiful dress [he] ever made,” in less than three months with a team of 350 women.
The dress, inspired by the Botticelli painting “Primavera,” featured star flowers, roses, jasmine blossoms, and wheat encrusted with diamanté and 10,000 seed pearls. It had a sweetheart neckline, long sleeves, and 22 buttons down the back, with a 15-foot train.
The Queen borrowed the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara for the occasion. Although it snapped before the ceremony, it was quickly repaired.
Princess Margaret
Princess Margaret’s wedding dress was simple yet elegant.
Designed by Norman Hartnell, it was made of silk organza with minimal crystal embellishments.
The focus was on the voluminous skirt and modest V-neckline, keeping it simple to suit her petite frame.
Margaret wore the Poltimore Tiara, bought at auction, which she couldn’t wait to wear.
Princess Anne
Princess Anne’s wedding dress, designed by Maureen Baker, was worn for her wedding to Captain Phillips on her brother’s birthday.
The dress featured a mock neck, draped trumpet sleeves, and a silk net veil. Anne also wore the Queen Mary’s Fringe Tiara, completing her royal bridal look.
Princess Diana
Princess Diana’s wedding dress, worn when she married King Charles III in 1981, is one of the most iconic.
She wore an ivory silk taffeta gown designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel, adorned with antique lace once worn by Queen Mary.
The dress had a 25-foot train, the longest ever worn by a British royal bride, which had to be folded to fit into the carriage.
Diana’s bridesmaid, India Hicks, was tasked with managing the heavy train. She explained that pulling it too much could cause Diana’s tiara and veil to slip, but not pulling enough would ruin the effect.
The gown featured a ruffled neckline, puffy skirt, and large sleeves. Inside were two hidden items: a blue bow for “something blue” and a gold horseshoe for good luck.
Diana also wore a tulle veil with 10,000 hand-stitched pearls, creating a sparkling “fairy dust” effect.
To complete her look, Diana wore the Spencer Tiara, a family heirloom previously worn by her sisters.
Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York
Sarah Ferguson’s wedding dress, designed by Lindka Cierach for her 1986 wedding to Prince Andrew, was notable for its volume and symbolism.
It featured puff sleeves, a boned, beaded bodice, a 17-foot train, and a 20-foot veil.
The dress had beaded “S” initials, bumblebees, thistles, and anchors, representing Sarah’s coat of arms and Andrew’s Navy background. Although some of Sarah’s suggestions, like teddy bears and helicopters, were not included, the gown was a hit.
Estimated to cost $45,000, it took four months to create. Ferguson wore the York Diamond Tiara to complete her look.
Queen Camilla
For her wedding to King Charles, Queen Camilla wore two different dresses.
The first, a white silk chiffon gown with scalloped edges and a matching overcoat, was paired with a Philip Treacy hat for the civil ceremony.
The second dress, worn at Windsor Castle, was a powder blue chiffon gown with an embroidered overcoat, topped with a golden feather fascinator.
Kate Middleton
Kate Middleton’s dress, created by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, was stunning when she married Prince William in 2011.
The ivory ballgown had a Victorian-style lace bodice with a V-neckline and a skirt that resembled an opening flower, along with a 9-foot-long train.
The dress featured English Cluny and French Chantilly lace with hand-cut appliqués of roses, thistles, daffodils, and shamrocks, representing the United Kingdom.
The lace-making technique used for these appliqués was Kate’s “something old,” while a blue ribbon sewn inside the dress served as her “something blue.”
Embroiderers had to wash their hands every 30 minutes to keep the lace clean and changed needles every three hours.
Queen Elizabeth II lent Kate the Cartier halo tiara, which had 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 149 baguette diamonds, originally a gift from King George VI to Queen Elizabeth’s mother.
After their wedding, Kate’s gown was displayed at Buckingham Palace, attracting 600,000 visitors in the summer of 2011.
Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle’s wedding dress, designed by Clare Waight Keller, was simple yet elegant when she married Prince Harry.
Inspired by Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy’s gown, it had a sleek bateau neckline, three-quarter sleeves, and a 9-foot train.
Made of pure white silk cady, the gown required meticulous care, with seamstresses washing their hands every 30 minutes to keep it spotless.
The 16-foot veil was highly symbolic, representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth and Meghan’s home state of California. The veil also included a piece of blue fabric from Meghan’s first date with Harry.
Embroidered wheat symbolizing love and charity adorned the veil.
Meghan wore the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau tiara, crafted in 1931 with a center brooch from 1893, borrowed from Queen Elizabeth’s collection.
Princess Eugenie
Princess Eugenie’s 2018 wedding gown, designed by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, was made to show off her scar from scoliosis surgery. The low-cut back was a significant feature, symbolizing a new perspective on beauty and confidence.
The dress had a folded neckline and a long cathedral train. The fabric included motifs like a thistle for Balmoral Castle, ivy for their home at Ivy Cottage, and a shamrock for her mother’s Irish roots.
Eugenie borrowed the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara from the Queen and wore matching diamond and emerald earrings.
Princess Beatrice
Princess Beatrice wore a gown previously worn by her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, altered slightly by Stewart Parvin and Angela Kelly.
The vintage ivory peau de soie taffeta dress featured diamanté and a geometric checked bodice with added organza sleeves.
This dress, worn by the Queen at various events, was chosen for its sentimental value and environmental consideration.
Beatrice also wore the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara, which the Queen had worn on her wedding day.