If you’re anything like me, you could spend hours flicking through pictures of beautiful wedding dresses. What better way to start than by celebrating the rule-breakers and icons who inspired today’s traditions! That’s right, we’re looking at iconic royal wedding dresses in history. You may be surprised as to when the white wedding dress became popular and why! Or perhaps you’ve always wondered which royal bride has the longest train? Keep on reading…
Queen Victoria: The White Wedding Dress
Did you know that white wedding dresses only became popular after Queen Victoria donned one on her own wedding day? Although these days, we associate a white wedding dress with purity, up until 1840, white wasn’t a popular choice! Brides would rather choose a dress they could wear again and often picked whatever they could find. Queen Victoria even wore her gorgeous white gown multiple times.
A portrait of Queen Victoria on her wedding day in 1840.
The Picture Art Collection / Alamy Stock Photo
Wallis Simpson: ‘Wallis Blue’
In 1937, former King Edward VIII married a twice-married American divorcee, Wallis Simpson. No stranger to breaking tradition, Wallis made her own rules for her wedding dress. At the time, people were used to traditional royal wedding dresses, so Wallis chose a figure-hugging dress in her signature shade of ‘Wallis Blue’.
Wallis Simpson and former King Edward VIII on their wedding day in 1937. Keystone/Getty
A replica of Wallis’ dress, which she donated to The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Shutterstock
Queen Elizabeth II: Rationing Coupons
When then Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947, rationing was still in place post-war, so she had to purchase the fabric for her gorgeous dress using rationing coupons. Interest in her dress was so high that designer, Normal Hartnell, had to keep the curtains closed at his workspace and whitewash his windows so nobody could take a peek of the dress.
Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten on their wedding day in 1947. Wikipedia
Princess Diana: Longest Train in Royal History
This is probably one of the most famous wedding dresses in the world and also one of the most expensive! In 1981, this dress cost £95,000 (in today’s money that’s £365,000) and was made from ivory silk taffeta. This iconic royal wedding dress had a 25-foot long train – the longest in royal history! – and was paired with a tulle veil made from 153 yards of fabric.
Princess Diana on her wedding day in 1981. Hello Magazine
Kate Middleton: The Lace Revival
The Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, married Prince William in 2011. Breaking tradition, they chose to have a Best Man (Prince Harry) and a Maid of Honour (Pippa Middleton). Kate Middleton is credited with reviving the now-popular lace wedding dress after brides laid eyes on her long-sleeved lace bodice.
Kate Middleton on her wedding day in 2011. Marie Claire
