Royal Wedding Dresses Through the Years: From Queen Victoria to Meghan Markle (2024)

FAQs

Why was Meghan Markle's wedding dress so loose? ›

Apparently, Meghan wanted to have a “modern and fresh” wedding dress, with both designer and bride agreeing a slightly more generous fit was appropriate.

Grace Kelly. The wedding gown that's widely considered the most famous of all time was a confection of silk, taffeta, tulle, and Belgian lace. It took three petticoats (embroidered with little "something blue" bows) to support the bell-shaped skirt.

Designing Meghan Markle's wedding dress—estimated to cost $265,000 (and paid for by the former Suits star)—entailed 3,900 hours of design for the veil, eight fittings, and five months of clandestine communication. “It all started out, in a way, quite relaxed,” Waight Keller says.

"Lady Elizabeth told me that the Queen had made only one remark to her about Meghan and Harry's wedding, which was that the bride's Givenchy wedding gown was 'too white. ' "In the monarch's view, it was not appropriate for a divorcee getting remarried in church to look quite so flamboyantly virginal.

“Meghan Markle has always had her own unique sense of style,” she says. “It's possible that her decision to change or remove the engagement ring reflects her evolving taste or desire for something different. She's not over the top about her jewelry and usually chooses to keep her look quite simple and classic.

Meghan Markle's wedding dress was estimated to cost about $265,000, which the bride paid for herself. The process required 3,900 hours of design for the veil, eight fittings, and five months of collaboration between the bride and the design team.

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Markle's wedding dress received mixed reviews from the public, some saying it was "beautiful" and "stunning" while others described it as "boring", "baggy", and "ill-fitting." Celebrity commentators, fashion editors, internet influencers, and Twitter commenters criticized the dress, calling it "boring", "ill-fitting", ...

However, Meghan Markle will have to pay for her own wedding dress–even Kate Middleton paid for her Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen gown when she married Prince William in 2011. The outfits of those in the bridal party, as well as any personal styling details (like hair and make-up) will not be covered.

Who paid for Markles' wedding dress? ›

According to many sources, while the Royal family paid for much of the wedding, Kate's parents footed the bill for the dress. Meghan Markle's wedding supposedly cost around $265,000 according to Vanity Fair.

Meghan reportedly wanted to wear an emerald tiara, but the Queen had selected a diamond tiara that had been worn by her grandmother, Queen Mary, in 1932.

Royal Watch

The global influence of Kate Middleton's wedding dress, which was rumored to cost $434,000 (and, per tradition, was probably paid for by her parents, Michael and Carole), has continued to inspire replicas over a decade later.

Prince Harry Wanted Meghan Markle to Wear One of Princess Diana's Tiaras on Their Wedding Day. The royal bride ended up wearing Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau.

After being told by Meghan that there was a tailor at Kensington Palace who would make the alterations, Harry wrote that Kate refused. She said that the dress would need to be completely remade four days before the wedding because: "Charlotte's dress is too big, too long, too baggy.

Meghan Markle: $265,000

The duch*ess of Sussex's gorgeous Givenchy gown, designed by Clare Waight Keller, is said to have cost approximately $265,000 (which Markle paid for herself!).

During the Sussexes' joint interview with Winfrey, Meghan hit back against tabloid stories that claimed she made Kate cry. "A few days before the wedding, she was upset about something pertaining to ... flower girl dresses. And it made me cry," she said.

Princess Kate also had to take into consideration the major financial investment the gown would be for her parents Carole and Michael, who footed the bill. The Middletons reportedly invested a whopping £250,000 on the elegant lace dress – so it makes sense that Kate wanted to pay tribute to her family with her outfit.