At the wedding of Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry, one thing in particular took center stage: the wedding dress. And it captivated with its understated elegance and special details.
Before the wedding of Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry, a family feud dominated the headlines: Meghan's father caused a stir with his statements, and it wasn't clear whether he would even attend the celebration. In the end, he did indeed stay away from the wedding. But another question also lingered: Who designed the bride's dress? On the wedding day, it became clear: It was from the label Givenchy and designed by Claire Wright Keller. As the palace announced on Twitter at the time, Meghan Markle worked closely with the designer.
At first glance, Duchess Meghan's wedding dress surprised everyone because of its minimalist design—unlike, for example, Duchess Kate's or Princess Diana's wedding dresses. The focus was on the bateau neckline, which bare the shoulders of the now 39-year-old. Meghan, considered a style icon, wore a sparkling tiara, a long veil, and jewelry by Cartier with the simple gown.
It was the details that gave the dress its character: The tiara, for example, was personally loaned to the Duchess by the Queen and dates back to 1932. Flowers representing all 53 Commonwealth nations were woven into the five-meter-long veil. Two other flowers symbolized Meghan's old and new life: the Chinese winter lily, which grows on the grounds of Kensington Palace and represented her new home; and the California poppy, which symbolized the Duchess's former life. Meghan also carried a white bridal bouquet with forget-me-nots, the favorite flowers of Harry's mother, Diana, who died in 1997.
Meghan Markle wore a Givenchy wedding dress.
The simplicity of the dress was a specific request of the bride, the designer said after the wedding: "We wanted to create a timeless dress that incorporates Givenchy's iconic elements and has a modern feel thanks to its clean lines and sharp cuts. This contrasted with the vision Meghan and I had for the veil with its floral pattern."
From the bride and groom's perspective: A carriage ride through Windsor
Later, Duchess Meghan also explained: "Somewhere in the veil was a piece of blue fabric sewn in. It was my 'something blue'." But her dress concealed even more personal details that were sewn in, namely "a piece of the dress I wore on our first date," the Duchess revealed.
