Rhiannon Hendricks
Queen Victoria's wedding dress was a white silk satin gown with a deep flounce of Honiton lace, designed by William Dyce. The dress was made from British materials, supporting industries that were in decline. The choice of a white wedding dress was uncommon at the time, and Queen Victoria's decision made headlines around the world. The dress is said to have contributed to the popularity of white wedding dresses. Queen Victoria wore her wedding veil on several occasions throughout her life and was rumoured to have been buried in it when she passed away in 1901.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Burial dress colour | White |
| Dress type | Wedding veil |
| Material | Satin |
| Lace | Honiton lace |
| Year of burial | 1901 |
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What You'll Learn
Queen Victoria's wedding dress was white silk satin with Honiton lace
Queen Victoria's wedding dress was made of white silk satin with Honiton lace. The silk was from Spitalfields, London, and the lace was handmade in Devon. The dress was designed by Mary Bettans and featured an eight-piece bodice with a wide, open neckline and short, puffed, off-the-shoulder sleeves. The deep V-shaped waistline resembled a basque shape, and the full-length skirt had seven widths of fabric in forward-facing pleats. The neckline and sleeves were trimmed with lace, and the skirt was adorned with a deep flounce of Honiton lace.
Queen Victoria's choice of a white wedding dress was a break from royal tradition and gained a lot of attention as the royal wedding was highly publicised. White wedding dresses were uncommon before Victoria's wedding, and it was not the majority choice for brides until decades later. Victoria is often credited with starting the tradition of white weddings, although she was not the first royal to wear white. In her journal, she described her dress as "a white satin dress, with a deep flounce of Honiton lace, an imitation of an old design".
The Honiton lace used on the dress proved to be an important boost to Devon lace-making. Victoria continued to wear the lace flounce and veil on special occasions throughout her life, including to the weddings of two of her children and for her Diamond Jubilee portrait in 1897. When Victoria died in 1901, it was rumoured that she was buried with her wedding veil over her face. However, this is disputed, with some sources stating that she may have been buried with a veil of embroidered mesh.
The dress itself was conserved and displayed at Kensington Palace in 2012, but the lace had become too fragile to be moved from storage.
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She wore a veil and a satin train over six yards long
Queen Victoria wore a veil and a satin train over six yards long at her wedding to Prince Albert in 1840. The veil was made of Honiton lace, and the train was made of cream satin woven in Spitalfields, London's historic centre of the silk industry. The gown was adorned with orange blossoms, symbolising fertility, and the deep v-shaped waistline resembled a basque shape.
The veil was a treasured item for Queen Victoria, and she continued to wear it on special occasions throughout her life. When she died in 1901, it is rumoured that she was buried in her wedding veil, along with other items such as her husband's dressing gown, a sprig of Balmoral heather, a cast of her husband's hands, photographs, and pieces of jewellery.
Queen Victoria is often credited with starting the tradition of white weddings and white bridal gowns, although she was not the first royal to be married in white. Her choice of a white wedding dress made from heavy silk satin was a break from royal custom and gained a lot of attention from the press. The white colour symbolised purity and innocence, and the dress was designed by William Dyce, the head of the Government School of Design (now the Royal College of Art).
The decision to be buried in her wedding veil instead of monarchial regalia may have been a reflection of Queen Victoria's desire to prioritise her role as a wife over her role as a monarch. She is known to have treasured her husband deeply and grieved his death in 1861, wearing mourning dress for the rest of her life.
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She was buried in her wedding veil, not the dress
Queen Victoria, who wore a white wedding dress made from heavy silk satin when she married Prince Albert in 1840, was not buried in her wedding dress. However, she was buried in her wedding veil.
The wedding dress, designed by William Dyce, was made of cream-coloured satin fabric woven in Spitalfields, East London, and trimmed with a deep flounce and trimmings of Honiton lace hand-made in Devon. The gown was further adorned with orange blossoms, an 18-foot-long train, and a satin bodice. The choice of materials was intended to boost the local silk and lace industries.
Queen Victoria wore her wedding veil on several occasions throughout her life, including for a portrait to celebrate her Diamond Jubilee in 1897. The veil was also featured in a photograph of Victoria on the occasion of the 1893 wedding of the future King George V, which was later used as her Diamond Jubilee portrait.
When Queen Victoria died in 1901, she was buried in her wedding veil, along with her husband's dressing gown, a sprig of Balmoral heather, a cast of her husband's hands, photographs, and pieces of jewellery. She requested to be buried with these items, and her physician, Sir James Reid, ensured her wishes were carried out.
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She was also buried with her husband's dressing gown
Queen Victoria, who wore a white silk and lace wedding dress when she married Prince Albert in 1840, was buried in her wedding veil, according to her wishes. She was also buried with her husband's dressing gown.
The Queen, who died in 1901, is said to have requested to be buried with a number of different objects. Her physician, Sir James Reid, was handed a note after her death listing her wishes, which included some items she did not want her family to know about. Reid followed the instructions and, after placing the Queen's body in the coffin, he helped dress her in a satin gown and arranged her hair and veil. He then packed the sides of the coffin with bags of charcoal in muslin.
When alone, Reid completed the list by placing King Albert's dressing gown, Victoria's wedding veil, a sprig of Balmoral heather, a cast of Albert's hands, photographs, and pieces of jewellery inside the coffin.
The Queen's choice to be buried in her wedding veil is seen as a symbol of her enduring love for her husband, who died in 1861. Victoria grieved for the remainder of her life, and her chronic depression and prolonged grief cast a shadow over her wardrobe, with the Queen often wearing black during her widowhood.
While there are rumours that Queen Victoria was buried in her wedding dress, this is a myth. However, it is believed that she may have been buried with a veil of embroidered mesh.
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She is credited with popularising the white wedding dress
Queen Victoria is often credited with popularising the white wedding dress. On 10 February 1840, she married Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha wearing a white gown made from heavy silk satin. The dress was trimmed with a deep flounce and trimmings of Honiton lace, hand-made in Devon, and designed by William Dyce. Victoria described her choice of dress in her journal:
> I wore a white satin dress, with a deep flounce of Honiton lace, an imitation of an old design. My jewels were my Turkish diamond necklace & earrings & dear Albert's beautiful sapphire brooch.
The choice of white was unusual for the time. Prior to Victoria's wedding, white was a distinctly uncommon choice for bridal gowns, and it would not become the majority choice for brides until decades later. White was seen as a symbol of wealth, as it was difficult to keep a white dress pristine after it had been worn. However, Victoria was not the first person to wear white for their wedding, and it is thought that she chose the colour to highlight the delicate lace, and to support English lace-makers.
The wedding was highly publicised, and the dress garnered a great deal of press attention. The white wedding dress soon became popularised as a symbol of "innocence and romance", and the idea that white reflected the bride's virginity also gained traction. Victoria continued to wear her wedding veil to special occasions throughout her life, including the wedding of her grandson, the future King George V, in 1893.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Queen Victoria was not buried in her wedding dress. However, she was buried in her wedding veil, wearing a satin dressing gown.
Queen Victoria's wedding dress was made of Spitalfields silk and Honiton lace. The lace was designed by William Dyce, and the silk was woven in Spitalfields, London, which was the historic centre of the silk industry.
Queen Victoria's wedding dress was a white satin dress with a deep flounce of Honiton lace. The dress had a wide, open neckline, short puffed sleeves, and a deep v-shaped pointed waistline. The floor-length skirt had a circumference of 139 inches and was made with seven widths of fabric in forward-facing pleats. The train was over six yards long and was carried by twelve attendants.
Queen Victoria chose to wear a white wedding dress to boost the local silk and lace industries. The silk was from Spitalfields, London, and the lace was handmade in Honiton and Beer, Devon.
