The wedding of Prince William and his longtime girlfriend, Kate Middleton, was one of the most anticipated in recent years, most likely because he was second in line to the British throne, but also because he was the son of the late Princess Diana, the star of the grand royal wedding of the last century.
On Friday, April 29, 2011, the day of the ceremony, everyone was eagerly awaiting the unveiling of the dress the bride had chosen to say "I do."
Considering that her late mother-in-law, Lady Di, wore an unforgettable and spectacular gown, it was thought that Kate might replicate that design or even surpass it with yards and yards of ruffles and tulle.
Nothing could have been further from the truth. The new Duchess of Cambridge opted for a very elegant design, romantic yet understated. As they say, less is more.
Kate chose a design by Alexander McQueen, who had passed away just a year earlier, in February 2010. His right-hand woman, Sarah Brutun, the creative director of the fashion house, was responsible for creating this wedding dress.
"It has been the experience of a lifetime working with Kate Middleton to create her wedding dress. Alexander McQueen's designs are based on combining contrasts to create stunning and beautiful clothing, and I believe that by combining traditional fabrics and lace with a modern structure and design, we have created a beautiful dress for Kate on her wedding day. The last few months have been very exciting and an incredible experience for my team and me as we worked very closely with Kate to create this dress under conditions of strict secrecy," Sarah commented a few days later.
It was an A-line skirt with volume, in ivory satin with hand-embroidered lace appliqués. The skirt's subtle sweep was created by a petticoat, also made of silk tulle and adorned with Cluny lace, from which flowed a train measuring only three meters—nothing like Princess Diana's, who broke the record for the longest and most impressive train of all the royal women, nearly eight meters long.
But the most striking feature of this design was the corset, a McQueen signature, with a sweetheart neckline lined with a long-sleeved French lace overlay and a high V-neck, the latter showcasing the beautiful hand-embroidered work of the Royal School of Needlework in the United Kingdom. An exquisite piece inspired by the Victorian corsetry tradition of that era.
She wore matching shoes, also made by Alexander McQueen from the same material as the dress. The veil was composed of several layers of soft ivory silk tulle with hand-embroidered appliqués of typical English flowers along the edges.
But the star accessory was the Cartier tiara she wore. It was a loan from Queen Elizabeth II that had belonged to her mother, Queen Elizabeth the Mother. Her husband, King George VI, gave it to her in 1936.
The bouquet also broke with expectations created by Diana's cascading bouquet. Kate's was small and very discreet, letting the dress take center stage. It was created by Shane Connolly and composed of the royal family's favorite flowers: lilies, hyacinths, ivy, and myrtle. It has been a tradition since 1845 to use myrtle in Windsor bridal bouquets, a tradition that began at Buckingham Palace and was started by Queen Victoria.
Catherine of Cambridge's dress is already considered one of the most spectacular in the history of European royal weddings, and of course, several low-cost brands have offered it at more accessible prices.
