Deborah Chan
It is a known tradition for royal brides to wear two dresses on their wedding day, one for the ceremony and another for the reception. For instance, Kate Middleton wore a custom Alexander McQueen gown for her ceremony at Westminster Abbey, and then changed into another Alexander McQueen dress for her reception. Similarly, Meghan Markle wore a Givenchy dress for her ceremony and later changed into a Stella McCartney halter gown for her reception. Princess Eugenie, Princess Madeleine of Sweden, and Princess Sofia of Sweden are also among the royals who wore multiple dresses on their wedding day.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Royals who wore multiple dresses on their wedding day | Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, Princess Eugenie, Princess Madeleine, Princess Sofia, Princess Beatrice, Princess Diana |
| Reason for multiple dresses | Royals often wear one dress for their wedding ceremony and another for the reception |
| Wedding day tiara tradition | The wedding day is typically the first time a new royal wears a tiara, usually borrowed from their family or in-laws |
| Wedding bouquet tradition | The bride's bouquet must contain myrtle, a tradition started by Queen Victoria |
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What You'll Learn
Kate Middleton wore two Alexander McQueen dresses
It is a tradition for royals to wear one dress for their wedding ceremony and another for the reception. Kate Middleton, now the Princess of Wales, wore two Alexander McQueen dresses on her wedding day. The first was a Victorian-inspired wedding gown designed by Sarah Burton, who was working for Alexander McQueen's House at the time. The dress featured a lace bodice, a nearly 9-foot-long train, and floral embroidery on the sleeves, which paid homage to the four national emblems of the UK: the rose of England, the thistle of Scotland, the daffodil of Wales, and the shamrock of Northern Ireland.
The second dress, also by Alexander McQueen, was an ivory satin gown accessorized with a diamond belt and a white shrug. Middleton wore this dress to her wedding reception. The Alexander McQueen fashion house was founded by designer Lee Alexander McQueen in 1992. Despite his sudden death in 2010, the McQueen legacy and brand have flourished under the direction of Sarah Burton.
Since her wedding, Middleton has continued to wear Alexander McQueen outfits on numerous occasions. For instance, she wore an Alexander McQueen ensemble to the christening of her daughter, Princess Charlotte, in Sandringham. She also wore a scarlet Alexander McQueen suit to a pre-launch event for her early childhood project, Shaping Us. Additionally, Middleton has worn Alexander McQueen to state visits, such as when she wore a white Alexander McQueen ensemble to a US state visit in 2019 and a navy Alexander McQueen suit to the start of a three-day state visit to Singapore.
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Meghan Markle wore Givenchy and Stella McCartney
Meghan Markle wore not one but two dresses on her wedding day. She wore a custom Givenchy gown designed by the label's Creative Director, Clare Waight Keller, for the ceremony. The dress featured three-quarter-length sleeves and was described as classic and timeless.
For her second dress, Meghan Markle chose a British designer, Stella McCartney, who created a sexy, slinky, and sophisticated halter gown. The silk crepe dress featured an open back and was described as conjuring "sophisticated Hollywood glamour". Markle paired the dress with Aquazzura shoes, with the soles painted baby blue.
It is not uncommon for royals to wear multiple dresses on their wedding day. Kate Middleton and Princess Eugenie also changed into different dresses for their wedding receptions.
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Princess Eugenie wore a dress with meaningful symbols
It is common for royals to wear one dress for their wedding ceremony and another for the reception. Princess Eugenie, Kate Middleton, and Meghan Markle all changed into different dresses for their wedding receptions.
Princess Eugenie's wedding dress was designed by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos. The dress featured an open back, which was designed to display the scar from her surgery to correct scoliosis. Eugenie said, "I think you can change the way beauty is, and you can show people your scars, and I think it's really special to stand up for that."
The fabric of Princess Eugenie's dress included several symbols meaningful to her as motifs. These included a thistle for Scotland, acknowledging the couple's fondness for Balmoral; a shamrock for Ireland, reflecting the bride's maternal family; the York rose; and ivy, representing the couple's home at Ivy Cottage. The designers wove these symbols into a custom fabric made of silk, cotton, and viscose.
The dress was designed in the designers' studio in East London. Eugenie revealed that the dress had British roots but kept the designer a secret until her wedding day. She said, "I'm not telling anyone who is making it, but I can say it is a British-based designer. [The dress] is the one thing that I was really decisive about."
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Princess Madeleine wore silk organdies and ivory Chantilly lace
Princess Madeleine of Sweden married American businessman Christopher O'Neill in 2013. For her wedding, Princess Madeleine wore a gown crafted from silk organdies and ivory Chantilly lace, featuring a full skirt with a four-metre train. The dress was designed by Valentino Garavani, who described the princess as "modern, fun, full of energy and enthusiasm".
The princess's veil was also made of silk organza and was five metres long. It was held in place by the Modern Fringe Tiara, owned by the princess, and featured sprigs of orange blossom on the base. The veil was edged with tulle scattered with point d’esprit dots and small Chantilly lace orange blossom.
Princess Madeleine's shoes were designed by Valentino and were made of ivory white organdie with woven point d’esprit dots. The princess's bouquet consisted of myrtle, white roses, and lilies of the valley.
Princess Madeleine's gown was not the only one crafted from silk organdies and ivory Chantilly lace. The princess's mother, Queen Silvia of Sweden, wore the same dress to the Nobel Prize Ceremony in 2001. For her wedding look, Princess Madeleine added a white ribbon to the waist.
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Princess Beatrice wore Queen Elizabeth's vintage gown
It is a well-known tradition for royals to wear one dress for their wedding ceremony and another for the reception. Princesses Eugenie, Kate Middleton, and Meghan Markle all changed into different dresses for their wedding receptions.
Princess Beatrice, the youngest child of Queen Victoria, wore a dress of white satin with a lace overskirt, trimmed with orange blossom and white heather when she married Prince Henry of Battenberg at St Mildred's Church at Whippingham on 23 July 1885. Beatrice was a lover of lace, and one of her most treasured possessions was a tunic of point d'Alençon lace that had belonged to Catherine of Aragon. Queen Victoria allowed Beatrice to wear the Honiton lace and veil that she wore for her own wedding, making Beatrice the only one of her daughters to wear it.
Queen Victoria established the tradition of orange blossom in royal weddings when she married Prince Albert. Between 1839 and 1846, Prince Albert gave Queen Victoria a matching set of orange blossom jewellery to mark significant moments in their lives. Their daughter, Princess Victoria, also wore a dress made of white Moiré Antique, a fabric with a wavy appearance, decorated with three flounces of Honiton lace when she married Prince Frederick of Prussia in 1858.
Queen Elizabeth II inherited several pieces of jewellery from Queen Mary, including a diamond and pearl necklace, a tiara, and a pair of earrings. The tiara was given to Queen Elizabeth as a wedding present by her grandmother, and she wore it faithfully for more than 70 years.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, royal brides often wear one dress for their wedding ceremony and another for the reception. For example, Kate Middleton wore Alexander McQueen for her ceremony and then changed into another McQueen gown for her reception.
Royal wedding dresses are steeped in tradition. The wedding day is typically the first time a new royal wears a tiara, borrowed from their family or in-laws. Another tradition is that the bride's bouquet must contain myrtle, a custom started by Queen Victoria, who was given a myrtle plant by Prince Albert's grandmother. Finally, royal wedding bands are traditionally made from Welsh gold.
Some of the most notable royal wedding dresses include Princess Diana's ivory silk taffeta gown with frilly lace, sequins, and pearls, and a 25-foot train. Princess Beatrice also wore a memorable vintage organza Norman Hartnell gown that was first worn by Queen Elizabeth in the '60s.
