Princess Beatrice's Wedding Dress Was a Stunning Vintage Gown, on Loan from Queen Elizabeth
Princess Beatrice married her fiancé Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in an intimate ceremony on Friday in Windsor—but royal watchers had to wait a full day to get a peek at the Princess’s much-anticipated wedding gown.
It was well worth the wait. In two portraits released by Buckingham Palace, Beatrice’s stunning dress was on full display, and absolutely lived up to fans’ high expectations. Here, all the details on the gown.
Who designed the dress?
In a break from past royal brides, rather than enlisting a couturier to craft a custom garment, Beatrice went vintage. She wore a gown by Norman Hartnell, on loan from the Queen, made from Peau De Soie taffeta and organza, trimmed with Duchess satin, and encrusted with diamanté.
Hartnell was a sought-after designer in the 20th century, and a go-to for the Windsors. He was behind both Queen Elizabeth’s wedding dress and coronation gown, in addition to Princess Margaret’s wedding look and other important royal garments.
This is very much in contrast with the fashions worn at recent royal weddings, all of which were custom: Kate wore Alexander McQueen, Meghan went with Givenchy's Clare Waight Keller, and Princess Eugenie donned Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos.
What does it take to create a royal wedding dress?
Royals don't pick their gowns off the rack. Usually, the designer and bride will work together for months, meeting at fitting after fitting, until the dress is just right. Eugenie's dress, for example, certainly took time. "During several fittings the dress was developed layer by layer, constructing it from the corset and the complex underskirt to the fitted bodice and full pleated skirt," the royal family revealed on her wedding day.
As Beatrice’s dress was vintage, she didn’t follow that exact process, but the gown certainly still required fittings. The Queen’s trusted dressmakers, Angela Kelly and Stewart Parvin, remodeled and fitted the Hartnell design to flatter the Princess.
Did Beatrice’s gown feature any special motifs?
Royal wedding looks often feature motifs that represent things important to the couple. For example, Meghan's veil had flora representing the 53 Commonwealth countries, plus a California Poppy for her home across the pond and Wintersweet for Nottingham Cottage, her and Harry's first home in the UK; Eugenie's dress had a Thistle for Scotland, a Shamrock for Ireland, the York Rose, and ivy for Ivy Cottage, her and her husband's home.
As Beatrice’s gown wasn’t designed especially for her, there weren’t any special messages or homages hidden in its seams. However, as a dress on loan from the Queen—and worn with Queen Mary’s diamond fringe tiara, the sparkler the Queen wore on her own wedding day—Beatrice’s look paid tribute to her royal heritage in its own way.
Did she have a second dress?
In the past, royal brides have changed into a second look for the reception. For Meghan, that meant trading her Givenchy gown in for a looser Stella McCartney one; Kate wore another by design by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen; and Eugenie opted to swap her first dress for a Grace Kelly-inspired number.
It’s not clear if Beatrice changed into a second look. Given the nature of her intimate wedding, it wouldn’t be surprising if she kept to the one gown; it’s also not clear if there was a reception, given the circumstances, which is where the Princess would’ve likely debuted a second dress.
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