Amid the disappointing fallout between Prince William and Prince Harry that seems to have occurred as a result of Harry and wife Meghan’s interview with Oprah Winfrey in early March, there was news in April that there had been one thing at least that the brothers were able to agree on. It had to do with their late mother. The princes have both given their permission to have Princess Diana’s wedding gown as the centrepiece of a temporary new exhibition in London, called Royal Style in the Making.
Opening on June 3 in Kensington Palace’s Orangery, this will be the first time the gown has been on public display there since Diana was in residence, 25-odd years ago. In addition to Diana’s gown, the exhibition will include never-before-seen historical pieces, such as a rare surviving toile (fabric) for the 1937 coronation gown of the Queen Mother, and will highlight the relationship between fashion designers and their royal clients through the years.
For her wedding to Prince Charles in July 1981, Diana’s dress was considered one of the most closely-guarded secrets in fashion at the time. Crafted by British designers Elizabeth and David Emanuel, the ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown had the longest train in royal history, measuring 7.6 metres, and was covered in sequins. The dress was valued then at £9000 (£35,500 today, which is about AU$63,000)!
Looking back now at Prince William’s April 2001 wedding, Kate Middleton chose a white lace dress with a flowing veil by English designer Sarah Burton (of the Alexander McQueen fashion house). The dress’ daring plunging neckline was a first for the royal family, and featured a nearly three-metre-long train. The gown was one of the most expensive wedding dresses in history, costing a reported £250,000 at the time.
Although Queen Elizabeth’s wedding appeared to have all the pomp and ceremony of typical royal nuptials, there was an unusually down-to-earth element to it. When the Queen was married in November 1947, rationing was still in place in the wake of World War II so, to pay for her dress, the monarch saved her own clothing ration coupons. Coupled with a gift of 200 coupons from the government, she had enough to pay for the material for her wedding dress — ivory silk — and a four-metre-long train decorated with crystals and seed pearls, all of which were bought with coupons.
Lady Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon married Prince Albert, Duke of York, in April 1923, and her dress was a far cry from today’s modern looks. The Queen Mother opted for a gown made from deep ivory chiffon moire, embroidered with pearls and a silver thread. The dress, which matched the fashion of the early 1920s, was designed by Madame Handley-Seymour, dressmaker to Queen Mary.
Princess Anne married Captain Mark Phillips in November 1973 in a high-neck wedding dress, which she’s said to have helped design herself with Maureen Baker, the chief designer for the ready-to-wear label Susan Small. The gown was embroidered in a Tudor style and had long, flowing sleeves.
Which royal wedding dress was your favourite?
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