When Prince Harry announced his marriage to Meghan Markle, there was a ton of speculation
about just what kind of wedding dress her royal highness-to-be would choose.
Would she opt for an elegant Alexander McQueen gown, like Kate Middleton?
Or might she choose a piece that paid homage to Harry's late mother, Princess Diana?
Others wondered if she'd go a completely different route and choose something totally untraditional
to celebrate the spirit of her union.
In the end, she seemed to find a happy medium between classic and contemporary with her
choice of a stunning Givenchy gown.
Like many of her bridal predecessors, Markle's wedding attire was meant to be remembered
in the context of royal history, so let's take a look back at all the recent regal wedding
gowns, starting with the worst and working our way back up to the best.
Epic proportions
Princess Diana, the people's princess, was a fashion icon who used her love of color
to signal her approachability and ditched the stuffy gloves so she could hold other
people's hands.
As the budding bride of Charles, the heir apparent, her wedding was of immense interest
to the entire world, which meant her dress had to be a sight worth tuning in for.
As David Emanuel, designer of the famous dress, told Entertainment Tonight:
"This dress had to be young and sweet, but it also had to be glam because she was going
to be a royal princess.
She couldn't do a quiet-looking, low-key little gown"
Her gown featured a record-breaking 25-foot-long train, which was embroidered by hand with
pearls and sequins.
While the dress certainly made a statement, it hasn't exactly held up by most modern fashion
standards, which makes it no surprise that her daughters-in-law didn't opt to emulate
that sprawling design with their own nuptial gowns.
All that fabric still gets lugged around a lot, though, because it makes for a popular
museum attraction!
Royal blue
Whether you're the most ardent Anglophile or just a casual fan of Netflix's The Crown,
chances are you've heard of King Edward VIII's abdication of the throne to marry Wallis Simpson.
Their star-crossed love story was practically made for television.
The couple reportedly met while she was married and he was still a prince, and the two entered
into a relationship shortly before Edward became king.
But being king meant he wouldn't be able to marry Simpson, the American socialite who
was a two-time divorcee.
So, less than a year after taking the throne, Edward stepped away from his royal responsibilities
in order to marry her.
Although this didn't exactly sit well with the Windsor family, Edward was given a new
title as the Duke of Windsor and spent the rest of his life with the woman he loved,
after marrying her in a private ceremony in France in 1937.
The black and white photos of the day make Simpson's dress appear white or cream, but
her dress was actually a simple silk Mainbocher gown made of a custom color that would later
be called "Wallis Blue."
Considering it was her third trip down the aisle, Simpson opted for a very low-key and
unfussy ensemble that made it very clear this was not the typical royal wedding ceremony.
Not that there was any confusion about that, of course.
Over sized
Although Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson's name became synonymous with scandal back in the late 2000s,
her royal wedding to Prince Andrew in 1986 was a pretty blissful affair.
"That is incredible because it doesn't seem that long ago."
"It is.
Look at my face.
Looong."
Though Ferguson was feisty even then, her wedding dress was somewhat typical of the
late '80s.
Lindka Cierach, an African-born British fashion designer, created the dress made of ivory
satin with large shoulder pads and incorporated a ton of beading work.
Ferguson's dress was basically a scrapbook of embroidery documenting her relationship
with Andrew, from the heart shapes that signified their love, to the anchors and waves, which
represented Andrew's naval career.
Plus there were beaded bumblebees and thistles to represent Ferguson's family crest and the
train, which was 17 feet long and featured the couple's initials on top of everything
else.
That's a lot of dress for an already large personality.
Part turtleneck
The '70s was a weird era for fashion, so Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter,
could chalk up her wedding dress choice to the zany time period when she married Captain
Mark Phillips.
Even by that standard, though, Anne's gown was still pretty peculiar.
The princess chose a design by Maureen Baker, who, at the time, was the head designer for
the brand Susan Small.
The Tudor-style gown featured piping on the bodice and a high neckline, which basically
made it look like an oversized turtleneck sweater.
On top of that, the ballooned Medieval sleeves tapered at the wrists were another interesting
choice.
Despite its oddities, however, the dress still somehow managed to be quite flattering to
the princess.
Flight attendant
Princess Anne's first marriage to Captain Mark Phillips started to dissolve in 1989
and the two were divorced by 1992.
Later that same year, the princess married Commander Timothy Laurence.
Although Anne's wedding dress this time was much simpler than the medieval Maureen Baker
creation, it was still a turtleneck, seriously.
Anne wore the very modest suit, which stopped at the knee, with a matching white jacket
and black shoes, making her look a bit like a flight attendant.
Cap feather
When Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles finally wed in 2005, Bowles picked an appropriate
outfit for the occasion: a white chiffon gown paired with a light blue and gold damask dress
coat.
The coat, made by Robinson Valentine, featured a tasteful amount of gold embroidery throughout,
including a design around the collar which matched her gold feather headdress.
While Bowles undoubtedly looked lovely, the dramatic headdress was a little on the distracting
side.
A veil would not have made sense with her ensemble, of course, but perhaps a smaller
headpiece would've been a more fitting accompaniment to her big day look.
Of course, it wouldn't be the last time her taste in hats would distract from an otherwise
fine wedding day ensemble.
Simply '90s
When Prince Edward, the Queen's youngest son, wed Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, their vows
were exchanged in front of 200 million TV viewers.
And although her dress was very indicative of the '90s thanks to those shoulder pads,
her v-neck gown could easily be refashioned for today.
From far away, Rhys-Jones' gown seems pretty minimalist, other than the long veil, but
there is a lot more to this ensemble than meets the eye.
Part of the gown was made of hand-dyed silk organza and it was also embellished with a
whopping 325,000 pearls and crystal beads, which meant this wedding gown was definitely
fit for Rhys-Jones' new title as the Countess of Wessex.
Timeless elegance
Ahead of Meghan Markle's big day, there was a lot of speculation about which designer
the former Suits actress would wear, and in the end, Markle opted for a gleaming white
silk A-line gown with three-quarter-sleeves and a delicate off-the-shoulder neckline.
The classic piece was paired with a 16-foot silk veil with hand-embroidered flowers from
each of the 53 Commonwealth countries, and she also donned a tiara belonging to Queen
Mary.
While some royal wedding viewers thought Markle's bridal gown was a bit understated, others
were impressed by the new Duchess' decision to keep it simple, and only time will tell
how the look holds up for future generations of royal watchers.
Lace up
These days, Queen Elizabeth is known for her brightly colored outfits.
Whether she's donning pink or a lime green suit, she certainly doesn't shy away from
making bold fashion statements.
Although her use of color has evolved over time, the Queen seems to have always had an
eye for style, and her own wedding dress selection was no exception.
Although it's probably not a dress you'd say yes to today, it's still pretty amazing, especially
for having been made in 1947.
Designed by Norman Hartnell and inspired by Sandro Botticelli's Primavera, the then-princess'
ivory-colored satin dress was embroidered in a floral pattern with silver thread.
The dress was also embellished with white seed pearls imported from the United States
and had a long silk tulle train attached at the shoulders.
Maybe her look was a bit extra, but what else could one expect from the budding Queen of
the commonwealth?
Keeping classy
Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth's sister, married fashion photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones
in 1960.
Their big day was the first royal wedding ever broadcast on television and it pulled
in about 300 million viewers.
And while she may have been hoping to say "I do" to Peter Townsend before their engagement
was doused by royal tradition, Margaret didn't disappoint.
Norman Hartnell, the same designer who created Queen Elizabeth's stunning gown, created Margaret's.
Although the princess' dress incorporated silk organza much like the Queen's, it was
much simpler overall but still looked like the quintessential princess dress.
The full skirt alone required over 30 meters of fabric, and even more phenomenal was Margaret's
dramatic tiara.
Designed for Lady Poltimore in the 1870s, it looked more like it was made for her.
True self
Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding was the event of the decade, since he's second
in line to assume the throne and has been popular since his childhood, so the expectation
for the Duchess of Cambridge to impress was very high.
Luckily, her decadent gown ended up being a fashion victory.
The bodice was inspired by Victorian-era corsets, and the silk bottom of her gown was made to
resemble a blooming flower, a detail that could only be seen when the 9-foot-long train
was lifted.
Middleton's lace sleeves were also a great touch and followed the tradition of some of
the royal brides before her.
If Kate hadn't already stolen everyone's hearts before marrying her Prince, she certainly
won the world over as the picture perfect, modern princess bride.
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