Princess Eugenie & Jack's Wedding: Evening Dinner & Official Photos

We've got more goodies from the wedding of Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank!

Alex Bramall/Royal Family

The first is a picture of the happy couple heading to the private evening dinner held at Royal Lodge, the Yorks' home in Windsor. Here's what the press release has to say about the bride's dress:

"Princess Eugenie's evening dress was designed by Zac Posen. Mr Posen was inspired by the beauty of Windsor and the surrounding countryside. The choice of colour reflects the blush of an English rose. Mr Posen took his inspiration from the White Rose of York.

The pin-tucked plissé is cut on the bias and mixed with signature drapes. The White Rose of York is subtlety embroidered on both the shoulder and back which hold together the cape. The silk for the gown comes from Biddle Sawyer Silk."

Zac Posen is a friend of Princess Eugenie's and was one of the wedding guests. This is a very Zac Posen design and it seems supremely swishy and fun. I hope she got to twirl the night away with her handsome hubby.

Posen put a picture of what appears to be the embroidery on Instagram:

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The embroidery also hints at the bigger news here (if you're, say, someone who happens to also run a site about the Queen's jewels, for example): the jewelry. Eugenie wore her wedding earrings again, emerald and diamond drops that were a wedding gift from Jack. And even though you can't see it, she also had a sparkling hair ornament that the palace press release was kind enough to mention:

"Princess Eugenie also wore a hair slide belonging to Her Majesty The Queen. Queen Victoria’s Wheat-Ear Brooches were originally commissioned by William IV in 1830 for Queen Adelaide. They were passed down to Queen Victoria in 1837, and eventually to The Queen in 1952. Her Majesty has worn them as both hair slides and brooches."

One of Queen Victoria's Wheat-Ear Brooches is a BIG loan from Granny! These brooches (six in total) are heirlooms of the Crown and are some of the older pieces the Queen uses. I believe this is the first time she's loaned them out. The Queen has also worn the brooches in her hair. You can read more about them here. I wish we could see it in the picture, but I'm delighted they told us anyway.


Three official photographs from the wedding were also released, all by Alex Bramall:

Alex Bramall/Royal Family

"Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are pictured in the White Drawing Room, Windsor Castle with (left-to-right):

Back row: Mr Thomas Brooksbank; Mrs Nicola Brooksbank; Mr George Brooksbank; Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice of York; Sarah, Duchess of York; His Royal Highness The Duke of York

Middle row: His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge; Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge; Her Majesty The Queen; His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh; Miss Maud Windsor; Master Louis De Givenchy;

Front row: Miss Theodora Williams; Miss Mia Tindall; Miss Isla Phillips; Miss Savannah Phillips"

Alex Bramall/Royal Family

"Princess Eugenie and Mr Jack Brooksbank are pictured in the White Drawing Room, Windsor Castle with (left-to-right)

Back row: His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge; Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte of Cambridge; Miss Theodora Williams; Miss Isla Phillips; Master Louis De Givenchy

Front row: Miss Mia Tindall; Miss Savannah Phillips; Miss Maud Windsor"

Alex Bramall/Royal Family

"Princess Eugenie and Mr Brooksbank are pictured in the Scottish State Coach, upon its return to Windsor Castle following the Carriage Procession."

Cute! You can check out the rest of our wedding coverage here.

October 13, 2018

Princess Eugenie & Jack’s Wedding: The Bride and Bridal Party

We’ve done a deep dive on the tiara surprise at Princess Eugenie’s wedding to Jack Brooksbank; click here for all of the posts on this wedding.

The Bride

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Princess Eugenie revealed in a pre-wedding interview that she was using a British-based designer for her wedding gown. British-based rather than just British set off a guessing game that was heavy on Erdem and very light on the actual correct answer: Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, founders of the British-based label Peter Pilotto. (Pilotto is Austrian and Italian; De Vos is Belgian and Peruvian.)

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I associate Peter Pilotto with innovative use of prints in intriguing silhouettes, something brought to life in royal wedding gown format through complicated construction and a custom jacquard fabric. The fabric was designed by Pilotto and De Vos to include several meaningful motifs: thistles for Scotland because the couple is fond of Balmoral, shamrocks for Ireland as a nod to the Ferguson family, York roses, and ivy since the couple live in Ivy Cottage at Kensington Palace. Those symbols were crafted into “a garland of rope like motifs, woven into a jacquard of silk, cotton and viscose blend.” The design was then translated into a jacquard weave in Italy.

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The silhouette was identified after the designers researched previous dresses worn by members of the royal family, with close involvement from Princess Eugenie. The dress is constructed in multiple layers, including a corset, a complex underskirt, a fitted bodice, and a full pleated skirt.

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The neckline folds around the shoulders and dips into a low back. Eugenie specifically requested a low back because she wanted the scar from her scoliosis surgery at age 12 to be on full display. "I think you can change the way beauty is, and you can show people your scars and I think it's really special to stand up for that," she said in an interview before the wedding. She’s been very open about her battle with scoliosis; she’s patron of the hospital where she had her surgery. It’s a powerful statement. Quite a beautiful one as well.

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She went without a veil; a veil would have covered up the scar – and probably would have turned into a logistical nightmare, given the wind was snatching hats left and right today. The veil-free choice was all the better to display the best part of the gown: the full-length train. The back view was simply stunning, perfect for standing at the altar and walking down an aisle as grand as St. George’s Chapel. I didn’t love the neckline, but whatever it took to get to that low back is worth it.

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The wedding was the first time we’ve seen Princess Eugenie in a tiara and she certainly made a splash: the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara was a mystery before the wedding and hadn’t been previously worn by a member of the royal family. We’ve covered it in depth here. She paired the tiara with diamond and emerald earrings which were a gift from her new husband. Her wedding shoes were satin peep-toe heels by Charlotte Olympia.

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The bouquet was created by Patrice Van Helden Oakes, sister of Rob Van Helden, the main floral designer for the wedding. It included Lily of the Valley, Stephanotis pips, hints of baby blue thistles, white spray roses and trailing ivy, in addition to the traditional sprigs of myrtle from Osbourne House. That tradition goes back to Queen Victoria.

The Bridesmaids, Page Boys, and Special Attendant
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Blue and green were the big colors in this wedding, something emphasized by the outfits of the bridesmaids and page boys. These were designed by Amaia Arrieta of Amaia Kids. The colorful sashes around their waists are patterned with the same Mark Bradford artwork included in the Order of Service. A playful detail in action that I assume is also of some meaning to the couple.

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Lady Louise Mountbatten-Windsor was a special attendant in the bridal party, a.k.a. the designated wrangler of all the young ones. Unfortunately it's a bit difficult to find a decent pic of her (at the time I'm writing this), but she hit a nice note between grown up guest and color-coordinated bridal party member with her Claudie Pierlot dress Emily London hat.

The Maid of Honor and Mother of the Bride

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Princess Beatrice was named Maid of Honor. Rather than the position of train-wrangler in a matching gown you might have expected, it seems to have been more of a special designation for someone close to the bride. Beatrice wore a royal blue outfit from Ralph and Russo and a hat by Sarah Cant, plus a diamond buggy brooch on her side. Can we get MORE RALPH AND RUSSO for her, uh, right now?! She looked very sharp indeed.

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Sarah, Duchess of York was also quite sharp, I thought, in her green outfit by Emma Louise Design and a statement hat from Jess Collett Hats. She also had a meaningful touch in her outfit: her vintage Manolo Blahnik bag was carried by her own mother, the late Susan Barrantes, at Sarah and Andrew’s wedding in 1986. Sweet touches all over, just how it should be.

October 12, 2018

Royal Exhibition of the Day: The Sussex Wedding on Display

The Royal Collection Trust confirmed reports of a planned exhibition for the Duchess of Sussex's wedding gown this week! They announced that A Royal Wedding: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will go on display at Windsor Castle from October 26, 2018 to January 6, 2019 and then at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh from June 13, 2019 to October 6, 2019.

Exhibition highlights will include the Duchess' wedding gown, veil, and tiara; an identical uniform to the one Prince Harry wore on his wedding day will also be included.

Like many of you, I've been hoping for a better look at some of the details of Meghan's wedding veil. The announcement was accompanied by a few display shots, so let's spend our Friday gazing at some prettiness. (And/or doing some travel planning, if you're suddenly feeling the need...)

Wedding dress, by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy
Royal Collection Trust

"The dress is made from an exclusive double-bonded silk cady, developed by Ms Waight Keller following extensive research in fabric mills throughout Europe. True to the heritage of the House of Givenchy, the graceful lines of the dress were achieved using six meticulously placed seams. These extend towards the back of the dress, where the train flows in soft round folds cushioned by an underskirt in triple silk organza. One of the main features of the dress is the boat neckline bodice."

Veil, silk tulle
Royal Collection Trust

"The five-metre-long veil is made from silk tulle and embroidered with the flora of the 53 countries of the Commonwealth, a reference to an important part of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's official work following His Royal Highness’s appointment as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador."

Royal Collection Trust

 "The Duchess added two of her favourite flowers to the embroidered decoration: Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox), which grows in the grounds of Kensington Palace in front of Nottingham Cottage, and the California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), the State flower of The Duchess's place of birth, California. Embroidered ears of wheat, symbolising love and charity, are symmetrically placed at the front of the veil, which is edged with embroidered organza flowers.

It took the team of embroiderers hundreds of hours to create the design, washing their hands every 30 minutes to keep the tulle and threads pristine."

Diamond and platinum bandeau tiara, 1932
Royal Collection Trust

"This diamond and platinum bandeau tiara, lent to the Duchess by Her Majesty The Queen, held the veil in place. On public display for the first time, the tiara is formed as a flexible band of eleven sections, pavé set with large and small brilliant diamonds in a geometric design. The centre is set with a detachable brooch of ten brilliant diamonds. The bandeau was made in 1932 for Her Majesty's grandmother, Queen Mary, and specifically designed to accommodate the centre brooch. This brooch was given to the then Princess Mary in 1893 by the County of Lincoln on her marriage to Prince George, Duke of York (the future King George V). The bandeau and the brooch were bequeathed to Her Majesty by Queen Mary in 1953."

You can read the full story behind Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau Tiara here.

Frockcoat uniform, by Dege & Skinner
Owen Cooban/MOD Crown copyright 2018

"The Duke of Sussex's wedding outfit was the frockcoat uniform of the Household Cavalry (the 'Blues and Royals'), made by tailors at Dege & Skinner on Savile Row. As the uniform specially commissioned for the occasion is required for use by His Royal Highness, this is an identical uniform made for The Duke by Dege & Skinner a few years earlier.

The uniform's single-breasted blue doeskin jacket has figured braiding of Regimental pattern on the stand-up collar and sleeves. It is ranked to Major with large gold embroidered crowns on the epaulettes. The trousers, officially called 'overalls', are made from a blue and black wool barathea and are fastened by a leather strap and buckle underneath the boot."

August 31, 2018

Breaking Jewel News: A New Tiara for Princess Marie

Fall state visit season kicked off with a surprise! And from one of the people who needed some additional tiara variety the most, doubling the good news at hand here.

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That's right, tiaras were out in Denmark this evening as the Danish royal family hosted a state banquet for the President and First Lady of France during their state visit, and Princess Marie - French herself, you know - used it as an occasion to debut a NEW TIARA!!!! (Caps and exclamation points entirely necessary.) The tiara appears to be an intricate floral design with a central blue stone, looks like sapphire. I don't place it as one from the Danish vaults; perhaps it is a new acquisition (just speculation). Princess Marie and Prince Joachim did celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary earlier this year.

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Marie almost always wears her Diamond Floral Tiara, so a little variety is great news for her. (She supposedly has use of the Flora Danica Tiara as well, but she's only worn it once.) This is a winner of an appearance all around - that's the best gala dress she's worn in a long time, definitely best of the year level. Heaven at Princess Marie's Closet confirms it is from Rikke Gudnitz.

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No one else was slacking in the gem department for this state visit from the late Prince Henrik's home country, either. Queen Margrethe chose the Pearl Poire Tiara and picked up the red sash of France's Legion of Honor with a set of diamonds, rubies, and pearls (necklace, earrings, brooch) from the Danish crown jewels.

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Crown Princess Mary wore the Danish Ruby Parure Tiara, which is still a rare choice for her for a state visit, although she's been using it more frequently. Her dress is a revamped repeat; she added an over the shoulder sash to an existing Lasse Spagenberg dress. I love the tiara and I loved that dress the first time around, but together...this is not working for me. Combined with the blue of the French National Order of Merit, there's just too much going on.

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And finally, a floaty floral Princess Benedikte added her two sparkly cents with her own largest tiara option, the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara. You know I never say no to a good fringe.

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Here's the arrival. Always such a comedown when I stick that after the gowns n' sparkle. Sorry, arrival looks. It's not your fault. This is interesting, though: Mary's dress is also owned by Crown Princess Mette-Marit. And maybe some more once word gets out, I can think of a number of royal ladies who go for this style right now.


UPDATE: Princess Marie's new tiara is a mystery no more! Heaven at Princess Marie's Closet discovered the details. Called the "Nuits Claires" Tiara, it was a collaboration between French jeweler Mauboussin, who wanted to make a royal tiara, and Princess Marie, who was a part of the design process. The tiara is made of palladium white gold and features a floral background of diamonds and sapphires, with a central pear-shaped 6.82 carat sapphire. Mauboussin owns the tiara and will loan it to Marie for gala occasions, similar to the arrangement behind the Midnight Tiara worn by Crown Princess Mary. Princess Marie also wore a matching ring on loan from Mauboussin. Her earrings are not part of the set; she has been wearing them for a few years now.

Check out full details and pictures from Princess Marie's Closet here!

EXCLUSIVE: Mauboussin sent me a photo of Princess Marie’s ‘Nuits Claires’ tiara (Lyse Nœtter Diademet) with a press release pic.twitter.com/BpweSXDM2d

— HeavenLM (@HeavenQRF) August 30, 2018

August 28, 2018

Royal Dress of the Day: Princess Mabel's Wedding Gown, Revisited

Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau, wife of the late Prince Friso, one of King Willem-Alexander's brothers, celebrated her 50th birthday on Saturday. Seems like a perfect time to revisit her first big royal sartorial splash: her wedding gown. I can't think of another one that so accurately introduced a royal bride's style, because not only the designers but also the main motif and the general sense of quirkiness all became her signatures. That main motif is, of course, BOWS.

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Mabel Wisse Smit married Prince Johan Friso on April 24, 2004 in a gown by Dutch couturiers Viktor & Rolf. She requested something memorable and was interested in a three-dimensional train detail. They came up with a dress that featured 248 handmade crepe georgette bows, a favorite detail of the design duo: 128 bows on the skirt, 85 on the bodice, and 35 on the train.

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The bows are graduated in size, beginning with tiny bows at the shoulders and growing to massive bows at the end of the 3.15 meter (10'4") train.

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The bateau neckline and belted waist give the dress a flattering shape and it's a true piece of couture art, very cleverly made so that the ribbon lattice pattern behind the bows covers the seams. The gown is crafted from snow white double-faced duchesse satin and took more than 600 hours to make.

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The bride kept her veil short (wouldn't want to cover up any of those bows!), and topped it with a diamond tiara that borrows its larger stones from the top of the Dutch Sapphire Tiara. The tiara has an intriguingly two-dimensional look in a photo, with a lot of sparkle when seen in action. It has remained Mabel's top tiara pick in the years since.

The wedding dress was just the beginning of Princess Mabel's quirky royal sartorial statements, most also by Viktor & Rolf (and often featuring those beloved bows), but there's a lot more behind the fashion. Mabel herself is an accomplished and committed activist and philanthropist who has worked with organizations like The Elders and Girls Not Brides. Her marriage to Prince Friso began with controversy; the marriage was not submitted for the official parliament consent required for Prince Friso to retain his place in line to the throne because the couple were not entirely forthcoming in response to government inquiries about past contact between Mabel and Klaas Bruinsma, a drug lord and organized crime figure. Friso gave up his spot in the line of succession as well as his title as a Prince of the Netherlands when they married. He retained the Orange-Nassau title.

Sadly, tragedy was ahead: Prince Friso was trapped in an avalanche while skiing in Austria in 2012. He remained in a coma until he passed away the following year. Princess Mabel now continues her activist work while raising the couple's two daughters and seems to have a great support system in the Dutch royal family. She appears to be particularly close to her mother-in-law, Princess Beatrix.

Princess Mabel's wedding gown is currently on display in Rotterdam as part of an exhibition celebrating 25 years of Viktor & Rolf. As a premiere client (and a friend; she recently attended Rolf Snoeren's wedding), she opened the exhibition. She shared in her opening speech that Prince Friso, who was an engineer, had been fascinated by the construction of the gown.

On the left, the dress Princess Mabel wore to Prince Friso's memorial
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The wedding dress is poignantly displayed at the exhibition alongside a dress of mourning, first worn by Mabel in a long length to King Willem-Alexander's inauguration and then made shorter for Friso's memorial service. It is another Viktor & Rolf design, the white sleeve and bow echoing the wedding dress that started it all.

Viktor & Rolf: Fashion Artists 25 Years is at The Kunsthal museum in Rotterdam through September 30, 2018.

August 13, 2018

Royal Flashback of the Day: Peter and Autumn's Windsor Wedding

As the year of Windsor weddings continues, it's time for another look back. This couple just celebrated their tenth anniversary: Peter and Autumn Phillips.

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The Princess Royal's son married Canadian Autumn Kelly on May 17, 2008 at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle. Following the service, the couple departed via open carriage for their reception at Frogmore House.

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Autumn's wedding gown was a bespoke design from Sassi Holford made of Italian duchesse satin and Chantilly lace. The dress featured a three-tier sash above an A-line skirt with a cathedral train decorated with bows and lace inserts. A beaded lace bolero covered the bride's shoulders.

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Autumn wore the Festoon Tiara on loan from her new mother-in-law in her hair. The classic pearl and diamond earrings and matching necklace were the perfect basics for a new royal jewelry collection; fittingly, they were gifts from Peter.

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The bridesmaids wore strapless Vera Wang, and Princess Anne? Well, we just saw her festive brown outfit again earlier this month. No one-and-done special occasion outfits for her, thankyouverymuch.

Peter and Autumn's wedding kicked off the list of weddings of the Queen's grandchildren that's still growing. Of course, it was also the wedding where then-Kate Middleton flew solo as a guest (with Prince Harry's then-girlfriend) while Prince William was off at a different wedding, so some of the rest of this got a little overshadowed.

Psst: The blog will be back on Monday!

July 25, 2018

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Wedding: More Guest Fashion

How’s your royal wedding fever holding up? Still hanging in there? It’s like running a marathon, but on your couch, with snacks. We’ve already done the main stuff:

The bride, groom, and bridal party at the wedding ceremony

The royal guests at the wedding ceremony

The bride and groom at the evening reception

So let’s finish up the fashion business with a little look at what a few of the other guests - the ones that aren't members of the royal family - brought to the party.

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One of the first guests to catch my eye: Countess Spencer in Pamella Roland with a Rachel Trevor-Morgan hat. A purple outfit after my own heart! With a wee cape! She was terribly elegant back in 2011, too, I still remember her blush pink ensemble with a massive hat.

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Lady Kitty Spencer caught my eye too, in a green Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda dress with a hand-painted floral design and a Philip Treacy hat. Fantastic use of orange velvet accessories to give it an extra splash of interest.

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You give Oprah an invite to the royal wedding, she's not about to chicken out on the hat game. Her hat is Philip Treacy she's had since 2005, with new feathers for the occasion. I had quibbles on the dress until I checked Oprah's Instagram; Stella McCartney’s team made this for her overnight after she suddenly realized her planned beige outfit was going to photograph too white. All things considered? That’s a pretty good result. McCartney labels this a “blush, double tiered dress with lace trim made of sustainable viscose.”

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It’s hard to go wrong with a blush pink outfit for a royal wedding, isn’t it? Oprah would agree. This Versace dress on Serena Williams is just right, as is the fascinator that keeps clear of her long braids.

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Serena also posted her look for the evening reception, a Valentino gown. Not everyone could carry this print off, yet on Serena, it's pure fun.

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Amal Clooney opted for a bold color choice for the ceremony with this honey yellow Stella McCartney midi dress with a side tie detail in silk Cady, accompanied by a custom Stephen Jones hat. I loved this ray of sunshine during the broadcast, but in the photos, I suddenly want a little color variation. Maybe not full yellow on the hat?

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Meghan’s good friend Priyanka Chopra posted just after midnight that she was still waiting for her outfit to arrive, but no problems here: this is Vivienne Westwood with a to-die-for suit silhouette. A Philip Treacy hat tops it off.

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Also to-die-for: Priyanka’s evening look from Christian Dior. That is one sparkly dream of a dress, no? Let's get this on a princess or something.

The whole crew from Suits rolled up with their partners to support their former costar. I was watching all the guests arrive, trying to think which outfit I'd claim as my own if I were invited (as you do), and I think I found it: Jacinda Barrett's merlot grape Emilia Wickstead, be mine.

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Let’s end with the ever-appropriately dressed Middleton crew. The only surprise comes when you realize that Pippa’s floral dress from The Fold actually looks startlingly like an Arizona Tea can…and once you see it, there’s no turning back.

Who else caught your eye at the royal wedding?

May 19, 2018

The Duke & Duchess of Sussex’s Wedding: Royal Guest Fashion

Click here for the bride, groom, and bridal party!

The Windsors always manage to put on a show, don’t they? The hats, the clothes, the jewels, the whole thing. This time around, while there was no shortage of the family favorite shades of dark blue, there was also a garden of light and bright outfits for a happy Spring wedding. Let’s hand out some awards:

Best in Spring Leadership

The Queen

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The Queen sets the tone, as always, in lemon and lime and purple from Stewart Parvin with a matching Angela Kelly hat. It’s no Neon Birthday Queen, but it still can’t be missed. She also sized up the bling with the Richmond Brooch.

Most Unlikely Twin Act

The Duchess of Cornwall and the Duchess of Cambridge

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It occurs to me that these two outfits are really a lot alike in certain ways. Both could be repeats; Camilla’s is a new outfit from Anna Valentine that sticks to her usual pastels and her usual shapes, and Kate’s McQueen coat is so much the same as what she wore for Princess Charlotte’s christening that I’m not actually sure if it is a repeat or not. I’m certain plenty of you are ready to line up in the comments and tell me that’s on purpose, to make sure she doesn’t upstage the bride.

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They both sported sculptural hats from Philip Treacy – just look at the structure involved on Camilla’s! That’s a feat of architecture. You can’t even see her face in lots of the photos, which is par for the course. And they both went big on the jewel front, Camilla with her Pink Topaz Choker (my faaaaave) and Kate with another new earrings from Kiki McDonough, plus a ring. An unlikely twin act, you see.

Safest Plays

The York Ladies

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We laughed so hard at Princess Beatrice’s last big royal wedding hat, she very nearly didn’t give us one this time around. This Stephen Jones hat is not much more than a headband. Of course, it was the right choice for her custom Roksanda dress, which has enough going on by itself.

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Princess Eugenie toned it down in retro fashion in a blue Gainsbourg dress that doesn’t really get interesting until you see the back. Her Fiona Graham pillbox hat was the perfect complement.

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Sarah, Duchess of York followed suit in an understated outfit by Emma Louise Design and Jess Collett hat. Reads a little dated to me, but a nice effort overall.

Most Predictable Play

The Countess of Wessex

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All Sophie’s faves came to the party: outfit from Suzannah, long length, bespoke Jane Taylor hat. I think this outfit needs the longer length to make it special enough for the occasion, and simultaneously I’d like her to shorten the skirt. I’m difficult like that. Lady Louise looked great while dressing out of her mother’s closet (as pointed out by the Countess of Wessex Blog) in an Alaïa outfit.

Best of the Blue Crew

Autumn Phillips and Lady Sarah Chatto

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Of all the blue ladies – and these are the Windsors, so there’s a lot – Autumn and Sarah Chatto really hit it out of the park for me. Autumn’s dress, by Ceri Brooks of Hen House worn with a Juliette Botterill hat, flowed so well on the walk to the church and teal is one of my weaknesses.

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Sarah’s Jasper Conran dress is more colorful than her usual palette, topped with a bigger Stephen Jones hat than she usually goes for, and it all works. She gets me every time, she does.

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Also joining the blue-ish crew (accents of blue...whatever, just go with it), we have the Princess Royal and Zara Tindall in a Claire Mischevani teal coat with embossed navy detailing, a navy silk dress, and a Rosie Olivia hat. Is it bad that my first thought was that Anne had a hat made to go with Hugh Hefner’s best robe? Zara looked so exquisitely uncomfortable, I’ll just note that her hair was fantastic and leave it at that.

Most Classic Styling

The Countess of Snowdon

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Is this classic or what? Shirt dress with a full skirt, strand of big pearls, wide brim hat. Serena, she always gets me too. (Her Rachel Trevor-Morgan hat is a repeat from another big royal event, the Thanksgiving Service for the Diamond Jubilee.) Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, in the white with black trim, followed suit with Lady Louise and borrowed something from mom's wardrobe. Serena wore this outfit to Ascot in 2017.

And Also…

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No disrespect to the rest of the royal ladies in attendance, but we only have the briefest of glimpses. Looks like business as usual for Princess Michael of Kent and the Duchess of Gloucester, with some lovely pink from Princess Alexandra and a bit of pattern to pep it up from the Duchess of Kent.

Who was your best dressed Windsor guest?

May 19, 2018

The Duke & Duchess of Sussex’s Wedding: The Bride, Groom, and Bridal Party

Coming up later, we’ll have a review of fashion from the guests, so hang on for that! But first, we've got a long look at the main players in today’s fantastic wedding…

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As we chatted about our predictions for Meghan Markle’s wedding look, many were torn between her personal style – fairly modern so far, lots of clean lines – and the traditional type of gown one expects at a royal wedding. In the end, I think the brand-new Duchess of Sussex managed to combine both styles in spectacular fashion with a crisp and clean wedding gown and a lengthy, showstopper veil with some very significant embroidery. Plus, a tiara surprise!

Let’s break it down, piece by piece:

The Dress
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I jokingly asked which designer’s name hadn’t been thrown into the mix a couple days ago, and lo and behold, it turned out to be a designer whose name really wasn’t thrown around until the morning of the wedding! Well done on the secret keeping, guys.

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Meghan selected British designer Clare Waight Keller, who last year became the first female Artistic Director at famed French design house Givenchy. According to the royal press release, designer and bride met in early 2018 and worked together to create a “timeless and elegant aesthetic” with “impeccable tailoring, and relaxed demeanor”.

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The wedding gown is made of an exclusive double bonded silk cady fabric developed for this dress, in a design with an open bateau neckline, three-quarter sleeves, and a slim, modern shape created with six seams.

Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy

Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy

A train extends to the back with an underskirt in triple silk organza. Her wedding shoes are silk duchess satin, by Givenchy.

The Veil
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At the bride’s request, all 53 countries of the Commonwealth are represented in the veil, with distinctive flora from each Commonwealth country all combined in one design. (You can read the complete list of the selected blooms here, in the palace press release.)

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Meghan also selected two additional flowers to add into the design, Wintersweet from the grounds of Kensington Palace in front of Nottingham Cottage, and the California Poppy to represent her place of birth. The front of the veil includes crops of wheat blending into the flora, symbolizing love and charity.

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The five-meter-long veil is made from silk tulle and is trimmed in hand-embroidered flowers in silk threads and organza. Hundreds of hours were spent working each flower in three dimensions to create the design, the workers washing their hands every 30 minutes to keep things pristine.

The Tiara, Earrings, and Bracelet

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Funnily enough, the one tiara that was enough of a question mark I didn’t bother covering it beforehand or including it in our poll turned out to be the tiara of the day. Good thing we love surprises, right?! (We'll have to give this the full Tiara Thursday treatment later, but for now...)

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Queen Mary’s Diamond Bandeau Tiara, as the palace refers to it, was loaned to the new Duchess of Sussex by the Queen. It is a diamond bandeau of English manufacture and was made in 1932.

Royal Collection Trust

Royal Collection Trust

The bandeau is a flexible piece with eleven different sections in a design of interlaced ovals, pavé-set with large and small brilliant diamonds in platinum. The bandeau was designed to accommodate the brooch at its center, which was a present to Queen Mary on her wedding in 1893 from the County of Lincoln. The bandeau was bequeathed to the Queen when Queen Mary died in 1953.

On Queen Mary, with what looks to be a different centerpiece (it would be very Queen Mary thing to wear this with different centers, she loved her jewel flexibility)
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This wasn’t an entirely unknown (to the public) tiara; Queen Mary wore it in her later years. It has not been seen since Queen Mary wore it, however, so its status was unknown – until now. You’ll find it referred to as the “filigree tiara” in the past, a name floated around online in lieu of any official information. (Clearing up some confusion, because Queen Mary had a lot of diamond bandeau tiaras: this is not Marie Feodorovna’s Sapphire Bandeau, nor is it Queen Mary’s Lozenge Bandeau. It is a different piece.)

Cartier

Cartier

Meghan also wore earrings and a bracelet by Cartier. The earrings are Galanterie de Cartier Earrings in white gold and diamonds and she has worn them in the past. The bracelet matches the earrings she wore for the evening reception.

The Bride’s Bouquet

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The bouquet was designed by florist Philippa Craddock and features some flowers handpicked yesterday by Prince Harry from the couple’s private garden at Kensington Palace. It includes Forget-Me-Not flowers as a tribute to the late Diana, Princess of Wales, because they were her favorite flower. Other spring blooms in the bouquet include scented sweet peas, lily of the valley, astilbe, jasmine and astrantia, and sprigs of myrtle. Carrying myrtle is a royal family wedding tradition, and the sprigs come from stems planted at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, by Queen Victoria in 1845, and from a plant grown from the myrtle used in The Queen’s wedding bouquet of 1947.

The Groom and Best Man

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Both the new Duke of Sussex and the Duke of Cambridge wore the frockcoat uniform of the Blues and Royals, the regiment in which they both served. (The Queen had to give Harry permission to get married in his uniform, according to the palace information.) Prince Harry wore the star of the Royal Victorian Order; Prince William wore the star of the Order of the Garter. The gold braids on William’s shoulder indicate that he is an Aide-de-Camp to the Queen. Both uniforms were tailored at Dege & Skinner on Savile Row.

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Prince William once remarked that he wanted to wear a frockcoat for his own wedding and was vetoed by the Queen (she, quite rightly I think, favored the distinctive red coat), so I love that he finally got to wear one to a wedding!

The Bridal Party

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Clare Waight Keller also designed dresses for the six bridesmaids at the Givenchy Haute Couture Atelier. They’re about as classic as a dress for a young bridesmaid can be, made from ivory silk Radzimir with high waists, short puff sleeves, pleated skirts, pockets, and a double silk ribbon detail tied in a bow at the back. Their shoes are keepsake gifts from Meghan, created by Aquazurra in white leather, each monogrammed with the girls’ initials and the wedding date. The bridesmaids wore flower crowns from Philippa Craddock.

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The four page boys wore miniature versions of the Blues and Royals frockcoat worn by Prince Harry and Prince William, made by Savile Row tailors Dege & Skinner. The coats are made from blue doeskin with a stand-up collar and a scaled down version of the figured braiding of Regimental pattern that features on these uniforms. Each page boy’s initials are embroidered in gold on their shoulder straps. Their leg garments are made from blue/black wool barathea with three-quarter scarlet stripes fastened with a leather strap.

The Mother of the Bride

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Ms. Doria Ragland was supremely elegant for her daughter’s wedding day, wearing a bespoke dress and day coat by Fernando Garcia and Laura Kim, creative directors at Oscar de la Renta, with Aquazurra shoes and a bespoke hat by Stephen Jones. Her gentle pistachio shade fit in perfectly with the pastels worn by the top ladies in the royal family. Doria's jewelry came from Birks, the Canadian jeweler often favored by Meghan: the Birks Rosée du Matin Pearl and Diamond Drop Earrings in 18kt white gold and the Birks Snowflake Starry Night Pendant, a new design not available until fall.

Now, over to you:

What did you think of this much-anticipated bridal gown?

May 19, 2018