Franklin Dean
On 29 April 2011, Prince William saw his bride-to-be, Kate Middleton, in her wedding dress for the first time as she stepped out of her car at Westminster Abbey. The dress was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen, and featured a lace bodice, Victorian-era influences, and meaningful messages. The gown was kept a closely guarded secret until the wedding day, with Burton revealing that she had signed a confidentiality agreement with Buckingham Palace. The dress has since gone down as one of the best dresses in royal wedding history and was displayed at Buckingham Palace during the summer of 2011.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the wedding | 29 April 2011 |
| Designer of the dress | Sarah Burton |
| Fashion house | Alexander McQueen |
| Type of dress | Long-sleeve V-neck gown |
| Details of the dress | Hand-crafted lace, Victorian-era influences, 8.85 ft train, lace bodice, blue ribbon sewn into the interior of the dress |
| Kate Middleton's second wedding dress | White strapless satin gown with a matching shrug |
| Bouquet | Lily-of-the-valley, hyacinth, ivy, sweet William, and myrtle |
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What You'll Learn
- Kate Middleton's wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton
- The dress was made by the luxury fashion house Alexander McQueen
- The gown featured handmade lace, Victorian-era influences, and meaningful messages
- The dress was kept a secret from the public until Kate arrived at Westminster Abbey
- The dress was on display at Buckingham Palace during the summer of 2011
Kate Middleton's wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton
The dress was kept a closely guarded secret until the wedding day, with Burton revealing that she didn't even tell her parents until the night before due to a confidentiality agreement with Buckingham Palace. The dress was revealed when Middleton stepped out of her car at Westminster Abbey on her way to marry Prince William on 29 April 2011.
The choice of Burton as the designer was the subject of much speculation in the months leading up to the wedding. Bookmakers stopped taking wagers on the designer's identity weeks before the event. Middleton's choice of Burton paid tribute to the United Kingdom through its lace embroidery and use of UK fabrics.
In addition to Middleton's wedding dress, Burton also designed a second dress for the Princess of Wales to wear to the evening reception at Buckingham Palace. This dress was a white strapless satin gown with diamante detailing at the waist, paired with a white shrug. Burton also designed the maid of honour gown for Pippa Middleton, made of ivory satin-based crepe with buttons and lace trims.
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The dress was made by the luxury fashion house Alexander McQueen
The Duchess of Cambridge worked closely with Burton on the design of the dress. In a statement, the Palace revealed that "Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing." The Duchess wished for her dress to "combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterizes Alexander McQueen's work."
The gown featured handmade lace, Victorian-era influences, and many meaningful messages. The lace designs included roses, thistles, daffodils, and shamrocks, representing the national flowers of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, respectively. The dress was also rumoured to have cost $434,000.
The team of seamstresses working on the dress washed their hands every 30 minutes to protect the brilliance of the pristine lace and threads. The secrecy surrounding the dress was so strict that Burton didn't even tell her parents until the night before the wedding due to a confidentiality agreement she had signed.
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The gown featured handmade lace, Victorian-era influences, and meaningful messages
Princess Kate's wedding dress, designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, featured a long-sleeve V-neck gown with a lace corset. The dress was a combination of tradition and modernity, with Victorian-era influences and meaningful messages.
The gown's bodice was inspired by the Victorian tradition of corsetry, with a narrowed waist and padded sleeves. The lace used in the dress was handmade, adding to its uniqueness and social meaning. In the Victorian era, lace-making was historically women's work, and buying and wearing handmade lace became "a national cause". The intricate lacework on Princess Kate's dress showcased the skilled craftsmanship and attention to detail that went into its creation.
The choice of handmade lace also carried a deeper significance. In the face of encroaching industrialism, handmade lace enjoyed a revival, symbolizing a resistance to the commodification of female labor. This revival upheld the value of handwork and connected women across social classes, as upper-class women appreciated the "clean" and "artistic" work of their lower-class counterparts.
The gown also incorporated "something blue," a traditional element in bridal attire, which was sewn into the dress's interior as a blue ribbon. This added a touch of sentiment and good luck to the overall design.
Princess Kate's wedding dress has become an iconic symbol of modern royalty, with its intricate details and thoughtful blend of tradition and contemporary style. The dress has been displayed at Buckingham Palace, attracting over 600,000 visitors eager to catch a glimpse of its beauty and craftsmanship.
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The dress was kept a secret from the public until Kate arrived at Westminster Abbey
The wedding dress worn by Catherine Middleton at her wedding to Prince William on 29 April 2011 was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of the luxury fashion house Alexander McQueen. The dress was noted for its design, symbolism, and expected influence on Western bridal gown trends. It was widely anticipated and generated much comment in the media. Replicas of the dress were produced and sold, and the original dress was put on display at Buckingham Palace from 23 July 2011 until 3 October 2011 during the annual summer exhibition.
The designer of Princess Kate's wedding dress was kept a secret from the public until she arrived at Westminster Abbey. Embroiderer Amanda Ewing, who was part of the team that made the gown, spoke about the level of secrecy surrounding its creation: "We knew who it was for, but it was very secret – we had net curtains up, and cleaners were not allowed into the room and the code on the door was changed," she said, adding, "It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity." Burton also told Vogue that she didn't even let her parents know until the night before the wedding due to a confidentiality agreement she had signed with Buckingham Palace.
The dress was hand-crafted and featured handmade lace, Victorian-era influences, and many meaningful messages. It had an impressive 8.85-foot train and an opulent lace bodice, with hidden family tributes stitched into the seams. The lace bodice echoed that worn by Grace Kelly for her marriage to Rainier III, Prince of Monaco, in 1956. The dress was created by a team of seamstresses from the Royal School of Needlework, who washed their hands every 30 minutes to protect the pristine lace and threads. The technique used to create the dress was influenced by the traditional Carrickmacross lace technique but was a completely modern device. Floral motifs were cut out of lengths of lace produced on large 19th-century machines and stitched to machine net.
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The dress was on display at Buckingham Palace during the summer of 2011
The wedding dress worn by Catherine Middleton at her wedding to Prince William on 29 April 2011 was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of the luxury fashion house Alexander McQueen. The dress was kept a closely guarded secret until the day before the wedding, when Burton's name was revealed. The dress was noted for its design, symbolism, and expected influence on Western bridal gown trends, and replicas were produced and sold. The original dress was displayed at Buckingham Palace during the summer of 2011, from 22 July until 3 October. The exhibit was part of the annual summer opening of the palace, and the dress was displayed in the Ballroom. Over 600,000 people went to see the dress.
The dress featured a long-sleeve V-neck design, with a lace bodice and an 8.85-foot train. The lace was produced on large 19th-century machines and stitched to machine net. The majority of the dress was made using Solstiss lace, specifically the skirt and train. The dress also included "something blue", a blue ribbon sewn into the interior.
The Duchess of Cambridge's bouquet included myrtle, lily-of-the-valley, hyacinth, and sweet William, the latter a nod to her husband. The myrtle came from the same plant used in Queen Elizabeth's wedding bouquet in 1947, continuing a tradition that dates back to Queen Victoria's era.
The dress was not the only outfit designed by Burton for the wedding. She also created a second dress for the Princess of Wales, which she wore to the evening reception at Buckingham Palace. This was a white strapless satin gown with a matching shrug.
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Frequently asked questions
Kate Middleton's wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen.
Kate Middleton's wedding dress was influenced by a combination of tradition and modernity. The dress featured Victorian-era influences, with a nod to the 1950s and Grace Kelly's wedding dress.
Kate Middleton's wedding dress featured an 8.85-foot train, a lace bodice, and hidden family tributes stitched into the seams. The dress also included Kate's "something blue", a blue ribbon sewn into the interior of the dress.
