A Look Back at the Most Breathtaking Royal Wedding Dresses (2024)

Queen Soraya of Iran married Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi on February 12, 1951 at the Marble Palace in Tehran. She wore a 44-pound strapless dress made of 37 yards of silver lamé, studded with pearls, 6,000 diamond pieces, and 20,000 marabou feathers.

Princess Grace Kelly of Monaco married Prince Rainier in the Palace Throne Room of Monaco on April 18, 1956. Designed by Academy Award-winning costume designer Helen Rose, Princess Grace's wedding dress was the ultimate fairy princess look, complete with an embroidered pearl and Brussels lace bodice.

Dona Fabiola of Spain married King Baudouin of Belgium on December 15, 1960 in the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula. Designed by Cristóbal Balenciaga, her wedding dress featured a high neckline trimmed in ermine fur, and three-quarter length sleeves with a drop waist and a full skirt.

Princess Anne Marie was married in a simple high-waist gown with a delicate lace skirt detail. She and King Constantine II held their wedding at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Annunciation in Athens on September 18, 1964.

Princess Caroline of Monaco married Philippe Junot on June 28, 1978 in Monaco. Her 70s-style wedding dress, designed by Marc Bohan, featured translucent lace bell sleeves and a delicate skirt decorated with lace flowers.

Queen Noor and King Hussain of Jordan were married on June 15, 1978 in Amman, Jordan. Her wedding dress was a simple silk crêpe gown, featuring a high neckline with elegant gold detailing that drew attention to her bell sleeves.

Princess Diana and Prince Charles of Wales were married on July 29, 1981 at St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Deemed the "most closely guarded secret in fashion history," her wedding dress was created by David and Elizabeth Emanuel. The elaborately embroidered gown was adorned with 10,000 pearls and had a 25-foot-long train.

duch*ess of York Sarah Ferguson married Prince Andrew on July 23, 1986 at Westminster Abbey. Ferguson's wedding dress, designed by Lindka Cierach, featured heavy beadwork, depicting symbols that were personally significant to the couple—including hearts, anchors, thistles, and bumblebees.

Lady Helen of Windsor married art dealer Tim Taylor on April 28, 1964 at St. George's Chapel, Windsor Castle. The location of the wedding, specifically the arches, inspired the designer, Catherine Walker, who gave Lady Helen's wedding gown its unique wide neckline and short sleeves.

Princess Masako of Japan wore an ivory gown with a large, ruffled neckline on her wedding day. She and Prince Naruhito held their wedding at the Shinto shrine of Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, on the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan on June 9, 1993.

Queen Rania of Jordan married Prince Abdullah on June 10, 1993 in Amman. She wore an intricate gown, created by British designer Bruce Oldfield, with a voluminous skirt and gold-detailed trim.

Princess Marie-Chantel of Greece married Prince Pavlov on July 1, 1995 at St Sophia's Cathedral in London. She wore an ivory lace Valentino gown studded with rose appliques and sleeves decorated with more floral motifs.

Princess Mette-Marit married Norwegian Crown Prince Haakon on August 25, 2001 in Oslo, Norway at Oslo Cathedral. She wore a custom-dyed ecru silk crêpe with a 6-foot train and a nearly 20-foot veil.

Princess Martha-Louise and Ari Behn of Norway were married in Trondheim, Norway on May 24, 2002. Princess Martha-Louise's two-piece gown consisted of a Swarovski crystal-embellished coat with trumpet sleeves and a 9-foot train. The dress underneath was a simple, sleeveless white silk crêpe.

Queen Letizia Ortiz of Spain married King Felipe in the Cathedral Santa María la Real de la Almudena in Madrid, on May 22, 2004. Her wedding gown, designed by Manuel Pertegaz, was made from natural silk, woven with silver and gold thread, and a 15-foot train.

Mary Donaldson of Denmark married Crown Prince Frederik on May 14, 2004 at the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, Denmark. Donaldson's wedding dress, created by Danish designer Uffe Frank, was made of an ivory duch*ess satin with a scoop neckline, a slim-fit bodice and lily-like sleeves.

Mabel Wisse Smit of Norway and Dutch Prince Johan Friso married in Delft, Netherlands on April 24, 2004. Smit's gown was an unconventional snow-white, double-faced duch*esse satin dress. The gown had a bateau neckline, long sleeves, and a flared skirt that extended into a 10-foot train.

Camilla, duch*ess Of Cornwall married Prince Charles of Wales on April 9, 2005 at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Guildhall. Camilla wore a soft blue chiffon dress with a sleek blue and gold damask coat. The collar of the coat was embellished with gold embroidery.