On the 19 May 2018, Prince Harry married Meghan Markle in St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle. And there wasn’t a dry eye in the place.
The couple had been dating for two years, having been set up on a blind date in July 2016. The media didn’t get wind of their relationship until October 2016, which allowed Meghan and Harry the privacy they needed to truly get to know one another. The couple announced their engagement on 27 November 2017
Meghan and Harry attended a photo call in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace to share the big news and let us all have a peek at the ring. Designed by Harry himself, the yellow gold ring features a centre diamond from Botswana, and smaller stones are from Princess Diana’s jewellery collection.
Once we’d clapped eyes on Meghan’s new rock, it was time to start speculating about her wedding dress. As with all high-profile weddings, Meghan’s gown was kept secret until the big day – and boy, was it worth the wait!
What style of dress was it?
Meghan Markle’s wedding dress was a pure white, boat neck gown. Her sleeves were three-quarter length, six meticulously placed seams gave the dress its clean lines, and her white silk veil was 5-metres long and 3 feet wide. The dress was very minimalistic (no lace or taffeta in sight) and this stripped back style suited Meghan. She looked every inch a modern-day, fairytale princess in this simple wedding dress – even though we all know her royal title is Duchess of Sussex!
What materials was it made from?
Meghan’s dress was made from doubled-bonded silk cady, which was cushioned by an underskirt made from triple silk organza.
How much did the dress cost?
Meghan Markle’s wedding dress cost around £100,000 (which is approximately $183,000 in Australian dollars). Wedded Wonderland, one of Australia’s largest bridal websites, surveyed 515 women in 2018 and found that the average cost of a wedding dress was around $5,000. But this certainly wasn’t your average wedding, and Meghan was no average bride!
Who designed Meghan’s dress?
Meghan Markle’s wedding dress designer was Claire Waight Keller. The Birmingham born designer had previously been the creative head of Pringle of Scotland and Chloé, before she became the first female artistic director at Givenchy in 2017.
Commentators said that Meghan may have chosen Claire Waight Keller partly as a way to show support for Givenchy appointing a female artistic director. But it’s undisputed that Claire is a major talent in her own right, having worked for Calvin Klein, Gucci, Tom Ford and Ralph Lauren throughout her career. The design process was so secret, that Claire’s own family didn’t find out that she was the one that designed the royal wedding dress until the morning of the big day!
How much input did Meghan have into its design?
Claire Waight Keller described the design process as “very collaborative.” “I think she had very much seen my work and knew what I did. I think she loved the fact I was a British designer and working in a house such as Givenchy which has got its roots in a very classical, beautiful style” said Claire.
One of the finest details of the wedding gown was Meghan’s own idea. The embroidery that surrounds the 5 metre long veil depicts flowers from all 53 countries of the Commonwealth. Much of Meghan’s work as a member of the royal family will be to do with the Commonwealth countries, and she felt this would be a fitting way to take those countries with her on her special day. Meghan also asked that her two favourite flowers, Wintersweet which is found in the grounds of Kensington Palace, and the California poppy from her native America, be included in the veil.
Claire devoted a significant amount of time to researching each unique flower, and the dressmakers spent hundreds of hours embroidering the veil using silk and organza threads. To ensure that the veil remained in pristine condition for Meghan’s wedding day, the dressmakers made a point of washing their hands at least every 30 minutes!
What was the public’s reaction to Meghan’s wedding dress?
The public’s reaction to Meghan’s dressed was very much a mixed bag. There were those that loved the simplicity and the modernity of the dress, claiming that it was Meghan’s way of avoiding the unnecessary pomp and ceremony that goes hand-in-hand with being a royal.
Some people were blown away, like this Twitter user:
Others capitalised on the chance to quote from Beyoncé’s smash-hit Formation
Other viewers were expecting the dress to be more embellished, and were disappointed to find that Meghan had opted for something quite the opposite. Many people felt that the bodice was too loose and somewhat ill-fitting.
Even Katy Perry weighed in on the dress commentary, saying that Meghan could have done with “one more fitting.”
The mixed reactions turned out to be a chance for valuable discussion. In this day and age, where ‘bride-shaming’ and ‘wedding-shaming’ are unfortunately becoming so prevalent, many people stood up for Meghan, especially in the comments on the royals official Instagram @kensingtonroyal. Was it really anyone’s place to tell Meghan that they didn’t like her dress, or that she didn’t look good on her wedding day? Of course not! If you don’t have anything nice to say, it’s better to say nothing at all.
Was Meghan’s dress similar to other celebrities?
We’ve gotten accustomed to wedding dresses sporting a plunging front, or a low back as was requested by Princess Eugenie, so the boat neck style gown worn by Meghan seemed surprising, but it has definitely been done before. It turns out that Meghan’s dress is certainly an example of retro elegance.
Here is Princess Désireé of Sweden on her wedding day, 5 June 1964. Her wedding dress is strikingly similar to Meghan’s, with its unadorned silk, three-quarter sleeves and boat neckline.
In that same year, Princess Margaretha of Sweden was married to businessman John Ambler. While her neckline is a little higher than Meghan’s, that same minimalistic style is very present. Claire Waight Keller and Givenchy were clearing working hard to give Meghan a dress that didn’t closely resemble anything we’ve seen recently, whilst drawing on timeless designs from the iconic 1960s era as inspiration.
Where is Meghan’s wedding dress now?
Meghan’s wedding dress was on display at Windsor Castle from 26 October 2018 until 6 January 2019, when it was moved to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh and will remain until 6 October 2019 as part of a special exhibition.
Visitors will be able to see her stunning veil in all its glory, as well as the tiara Meghan wore on her wedding day. This Art Deco tiara was loaned to her by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, and this will marked the first time it has ever been exhibited in public.
Named the 1932 Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau Tiara, after the wife of King George V, the stunning piece of jewellery is made up of eleven sections of both large and small brilliant diamonds. If that isn’t enough sparkle for you, in the centre of the tiara is a detachable brooch, which is made up of ten brilliant diamonds. If Meghan hadn’t wore it to her wedding, the public may never have gotten a chance to view it in an up-close and personal setting.
Meghan’s next big outfit reveal
The outfit we are all waiting on now is the one Meghan will wear on the steps of the hospital after having given birth to her and Harry’s first child. The Duchess of Sussex has just returned from her baby shower with friends in New York, so now all that’s left to do is wait until April, her due date. Will Meghan opt for the soft, nude tones she has been consistently wearing since her wedding? Or will she do the complete opposite and wear something bright and bold? Either way, we will find out in roughly two months time!
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