Queen Attends Harry's Wedding

The Queen's attendance at Prince Harry's wedding was not a given, as her position as Head of the Church of England and Defender of the Faith could have prevented her from attending. However, she did attend the wedding and wore a bright lime-green dress by Stewart Parvin. The Queen's outfit also included a matching Angela Kelly hat in lime green tweed, the Richmond Diamond Brooch with pearl drop, and white gloves.

The Queen's attendance at Harry's wedding breaks royal tradition

The Queen's attendance at Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle broke with royal tradition. As the Defender of the Faith and Supreme Governor of the Church of England, the Queen's presence at the wedding of her divorced grandson to a divorcée was not a given. The Queen did not attend the first half of the Prince of Wales's wedding to Camilla Parker-Bowles, citing her position as the reason for her absence. However, the royal family has rapidly modernised its outlook, taking a more lenient attitude to divorce. The Queen's attendance at Prince Harry's wedding reflected this modernisation.

The Queen's role in the wedding was an important one. She gave her consent for the wedding, and hosted the happy couple and their guests in her home, Windsor Castle. The Queen was also the first to see Meghan Markle's wedding dress.

The Queen wore a bright and elegant flared Stewart Parvin dress in lime, lemon, purple, and grey printed silk, paired with a coordinating edge-to-edge coat with a frogging fastening in lime silk tweed. She accessorised with a matching Angela Kelly hat in lime green tweed, adorned with handmade lace, crystals, and pearls by Lucy Price. The Queen's outfit also included the Richmond Diamond Brooch with a pearl drop. The Queen's daughter-in-law, Sophie, Countess of Wessex, explained that the Queen's penchant for bright colours is to ensure that she stands out in a crowd, so that people are able to say they caught a glimpse of her.

The Queen wore a bright lime green dress to Harry's wedding

The Queen's outfit is always a topic of interest at any wedding, and Prince Harry's nuptials were no exception. The monarch is known for her vibrant block colour ensembles, and for her grandson's wedding, she wore a bright lime green dress.

The Queen's dress was a delicate lime, lemon, purple and grey printed silk, designed by Stewart Parvin. Over the dress, she wore a lime-coloured silk tweed coat with frogging detail, also by Parvin. The hat, in the same shade of green, was a custom creation by Angela Kelly, the Queen's official dressmaker. The hat featured a purple flower on its brim, which coordinated with the purple floral print of the Queen's dress. The ensemble was accented by a brooch known as the Richmond Diamond, Anello and Davide block-heel pumps, and a Launer bag.

The Queen's choice of bold colours is not just a fashion statement. The Countess of Wessex explained that the Queen wears bright colours so well-wishers can spot her in a crowd. At Prince William and Catherine's wedding in 2011, the Queen wore yellow, and at Prince Charles's wedding to Diana in 1981, she wore a bold teal blue pleated dress and matching hat.

The Queen's outfit at Harry's wedding was designed by Stewart Parvin

The Queen's outfit at Prince Harry's wedding was designed by Stewart Parvin, a British fashion designer known for his couture gowns and womenswear. Parvin has been designing clothes for Queen Elizabeth II since 2007 and is renowned for his timeless and elegant style.

For the royal wedding, the Queen wore a bright lemon and lime silk outfit, consisting of a delicately flared dress in lime, lemon, purple, and grey printed silk. The outfit was described by the palace as having an "edge to edge coat with a frogging fastening in lime silk tweed." The Queen's hat, designed by Angela Kelly, complemented the outfit perfectly, using the same lime silk tweed fabric adorned with handmade lace crystals and pearls by Lucy Price.

The choice of colour was in line with the Queen's trend of wearing bright colours, as she has been quoted as saying, "I can never wear beige because nobody will know who I am." This sentiment was echoed by Sophie, Countess of Wessex, who explained that the Queen chooses rainbow shades so that people can spot her in a crowd and say, "I saw the Queen."

The ensemble was not only stylish but also held symbolic significance. The Queen's brooch, known as the Richmond Diamond Brooch with a pearl drop, added a touch of royalty and elegance to the overall look.

In addition to the Queen, other female members of the royal family also recycled outfits for the wedding. For instance, Queen Camilla wore the same pale pink coat dress by Anna Valentine to the wedding and later to the Royal Ascot in 2023. Similarly, Charles wore a grey morning suit by Anderson & Sheppard, an outfit that has been in his wardrobe since 1984.

The Queen's hat at Harry's wedding was designed by Angela Kelly

The Queen's hat at Prince Harry's wedding was designed by Angela Kelly, who was the British monarch's Personal Assistant, Adviser, and Curator (Jewellery, Insignias, and Wardrobe). Kelly was born in Liverpool, the daughter of a dock worker and a nurse. She first began working for the Queen as a dresser in 1994, after an interview at Windsor Castle. In addition to being responsible for the Queen's clothes, jewellery, and insignia, she also researched the venues for royal visits and the significance of different colours to create appropriate outfits for the Queen.

Kelly's notable creations include the replica of the royal christening gown, the Queen's outfit for the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie's outfits for the wedding of Zara Phillips. She also designed the Queen's outfit for the wedding of her grandson, Prince Harry, and Meghan Markle. Known for wearing a striking hat alongside an equally striking skirt and jacket combo, the Queen opted for a colourful and summery look to celebrate the happy couple. There was much speculation about what hat and colour the Queen would wear, with blue, green, and pink being the favourites.

Angela Kelly founded a fashion label, Kelly & Pordum, with Alison Pordum, who was also employed as the Queen's in-house dressmaker until 2008. Kelly has also authored two books: Dressing the Queen: The Jubilee Wardrobe and The Other Side of the Coin: The Queen, the Dresser and the Wardrobe.

The Queen's jewellery at Harry's wedding included the Richmond Diamond Brooch

Queen Elizabeth II attended her grandson Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle on 19 May 2018. The Queen's jewellery for the occasion included the Richmond Diamond Brooch.

The Queen's jewellery is stored in a vault, a basement room about 150 feet long, that is well-lit like a showroom. The vault contains hundreds of tiaras, brooches, necklaces, earrings, and other jewels.

For the wedding, the Queen wore a bright lime green coat over a purple floral dress and a matching lime green hat. The ensemble matched her signature style, which is trademarked by bright colours, chosen so that she stands out in crowds. The Queen's jewellery included the Richmond Diamond Brooch.

The Queen generously lent Meghan her grandmother's tiara, the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau Tiara, to wear down the aisle. The diamond bandeau was made in 1932, with the entire brooch dating back to 1893. The centre brooch was a wedding gift from the County of Lincoln in 1893. The tiara is a platinum band made up of eleven sections and a detachable centre brooch with interlaced opals and diamonds.

The bride's "something borrowed" was the Queen's tiara, and her "something blue" was a piece of blue fabric sewn into her veil from the dress she wore on her first date with Prince Harry.

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