Franklin Dean
The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton was a lavish affair that took place on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The occasion attracted much media attention, with millions of people watching the ceremony live. One of the most talked-about aspects of the wedding was Kate's dress, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. The dress, which featured a 9-foot-long train, sparked a trend of copycat gowns and has since become one of the most famous royal wedding dresses in history.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of wedding | 29 April 2011 |
| Location | Westminster Abbey, London, England |
| Wedding dress designer | Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen |
| Length of train | 9 feet (2.7 meters) |
| Veil | N/A |
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What You'll Learn
Kate Middleton's wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen
The choice of designer came as a surprise to many, as rumours circulated that Burton was designing the dress, but the McQueen house repeatedly denied any involvement. Burton took over as creative director of the fashion house after McQueen's death by suicide in 2010, having worked with him for 14 years.
The Duchess chose the label for the "beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing". She wished for her dress to "combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterises Alexander McQueen's work". Burton's design draws on the heritage of the Arts and Crafts tradition, giving the cut and intricate embellishment a "distinctive, contemporary, and feminine character".
The dress quickly joined the ranks of the most famous royal wedding dresses in history and was even treated to an exhibit at Buckingham Palace just months after the wedding. Burton commented that it was the experience of a lifetime to work with Catherine Middleton to create her wedding dress.
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The train was 9 feet long
The train of Kate Middleton's wedding dress was 9 feet long. The dress was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. It was a long-sleeved, English Cluny lace and French Chantilly lace wedding gown with a small piece of blue fabric sewn inside (her "something blue"), padded hips, and a 9-foot-long train. The dress was designed to look like an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats. The lace appliqué along the skirt and bodice was handmade by the Royal School of Needlework using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s.
The 9-foot-long train of Kate Middleton's wedding dress was actually short compared to Princess Diana's train, which measured 25 feet in length. Meghan Markle's veil, on the other hand, was 16 feet long. The length of Kate Middleton's train added to the drama of her entrance into Westminster Abbey on her wedding day. The ceremony was attended by the bride's and groom's families, as well as members of foreign royal families, diplomats, and the couple's chosen personal guests. The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton took place on Friday, 29 April 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, England.
The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton attracted much media attention and was compared in many ways to the wedding of William's parents in 1981. The occasion was made a public holiday in the United Kingdom and featured many ceremonial aspects, including the use of state carriages and roles for the Foot Guards and Household Cavalry. Events were held around the Commonwealth to mark the wedding, and organizations and hotels held events across Canada. Over 5,000 street parties were held throughout the United Kingdom, and about a million people lined the route between Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace on the wedding day.
The 9-foot-long train of Kate Middleton's wedding dress is just one of the many details that made her wedding gown so memorable. The dress has gone down as one of the best dresses in royal wedding history and was even treated to an exhibit at Buckingham Palace just months after the wedding. The dress was also put on display for the public to view, breaking royal visitation records with more than 600,000 people coming to see its intricacies.
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The dress was inspired by Victorian wedding traditions
The wedding dress of Catherine Middleton, now known as the Princess of Wales, was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of the luxury fashion house Alexander McQueen. The dress was widely anticipated and generated much comment in the media, with replicas being produced and sold. The original dress was displayed at Buckingham Palace from 23 July 2011 to 3 October 2011 during the annual summer exhibition.
The attention to detail in the creation of the dress was meticulous. The team of seamstresses working on the dress washed their hands every 30 minutes to protect the brilliance of the pristine lace and threads, and needles were renewed every few hours to ensure they were sharp and clean. The dress featured 58 gazar and organza-covered buttons, fastened by Rouleau loops, and the skirt was made of ivory and white satin gazar, designed to emulate an opening flower with padded hips and a flowing silhouette.
The train of the dress was also a notable feature, measuring 2.7 meters (almost nine feet) in length. While impressive, it was shorter than Princess Diana's train, which measured 25 feet. The lace-making technique used for the train was Ireland's 19th-century Carrickmacross method, further adding to the Victorian-inspired elements of the dress.
The dress incorporated both traditional and modern elements, reflecting the artistic vision of Alexander McQueen. It has been described as timeless and continues to inspire brides even over a decade after it was first worn.
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The dress was on display at Buckingham Palace
The Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, was photographed before it went on display. The dress featured lace appliqué floral detail and was made of ivory and white satin gazar with a nine-foot train. The main body of the dress was made using UK fabrics, specially sourced by Sarah Burton. The bodice was inspired by the Victorian tradition of corsetry, narrowing at the waist and padded slightly below the midsection. The back of the dress featured 58 buttons of gazar and organza, fastened by Rouleau loops. The skirt, designed to emulate an opening flower, was padded at the hips and flowed to the floor.
The exhibition also included the Cartier "Halo" tiara, on loan from the Queen, and the diamond earrings gifted to Kate by her parents. The tiara and earrings were both worn by the Duchess of Cambridge on her wedding day.
The exhibition was part of Buckingham Palace's upcoming Royal Fabergé exhibit, which included over 100 masterpieces owned by the royal family.
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The wedding was watched by millions
The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton took place on Friday, 29 April 2011, at Westminster Abbey in London, England. The ceremony was attended by the bride's and groom's families, foreign royal families, diplomats, and the couple's chosen personal guests. The guest list included 1,900 people. The wedding was also broadcast on television in more than 180 countries, attracting tens of millions of viewers worldwide. In the United Kingdom, television audiences peaked at 26.3 million viewers, with 36.7 million watching at least part of the coverage. The YouTube streams alone attracted 72 million viewers.
The wedding was also an opportunity for the royal family to promote their digital presence. The family started their YouTube channel in 2007, and it became a central part of their communications strategy for the wedding. The wedding video has since racked up 14.5 million views on the royal family's YouTube channel and 35 million views on YouTube overall.
The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton was the subject of much media attention, with the buildup to the wedding and the occasion itself attracting widespread interest. The wedding was compared in many ways to the wedding of William's parents, Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, in 1981. The occasion was marked by events held around the Commonwealth, including over 5,000 street parties in the United Kingdom, and about a million people lined the route between Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace on the wedding day.
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Frequently asked questions
Kate Middleton's wedding dress had a train that was nearly 9-feet long.
Kate Middleton's wedding train was shorter than Princess Diana's, which was 25 feet long, and Meghan Markle's, which was 16 feet long.
Kate Middleton's wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.
