The best royal wedding dresses of all time, as you might expect are quite an extravagant affair. After all, when you’re a regal bride, there’s never more pressure and eyes on you than your big day. With the world watching, it’s key to make sure your wedding dress makes the best-dressed lists, so who do royal brides turn to for their dream designs?
From Kate Middleton’s favourite design house Alexander McQueen to couture designs by royal bride favourite Valentino, we’ve picked 32 of the best wedding dresses that will take your breath away with their beauty. Whether you’re a fan of a chic and slinky modern wedding dress like Meghan Markle’s, prefer a frothy fantasy that will barely fit down the aisle like Princess Diana’s or want a cool alternative to the classic white wedding gown - Princess Caroline of Monaco’s gold dress, anyone? - we can guarantee that there’s a royal bride who’s worn it well.
Ideal for bridal inspiration for your own wedding or perhaps you just want to reminisce about some of the most stunning (and expensive) regal wedding gowns in modern history, we’ve collated the best royal wedding dresses to inspire and amaze you.
32 of the best royal wedding dresses of all time
1. KATE MIDDLETON, PRINCESS OF WALES
When the engagement of Kate Middleton to Prince William was announced, the fashion world went into overdrive speculating who would design the wedding dress of the decade. Ultimately the honour went to Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, sparking a fashion partnership that lasted until September 2023 when Burton stepped down from the label. For the wedding in April 2011, Catherine Middleton’s wedding gown is said to have been inspired by the Victorian tradition of corsetry, featuring padding at the hips to create an hourglass shape. Featuring featherweight handmade lace, the dress was so delicate that workers were required to wash their hands every 30 minutes to avoid stains or damage. While no official figure has ever been confirmed, several publications including the News Of The World priced the dress at £250,000, meaning that the now Princess of Wales’s dress is considered the most expensive British royal wedding dress in history.
RRP: £375 | With a feminine lace bodice, this pretty wedding dress is under £400 and makes an excellent option for those wondering about nuptial looks for next year. The cap sleeve offers upper arm coverage.
RRP: £499 | A bias cut design with puddle train, this simple dress is all about the silhouette, devoid of classic lace or embellishment detail. Ideal for those brides that want something a little simpler, it's giving us Meghan Markle, second dress vibes.
RRP: £299 | For the boho bride, the floaty skirt and full sleeves feel delightfully airy and light. The V-neckline with build in under bodice adds just enough detail without being to sparkly or frou frou. A great choice for spring or autumn brides as it's covered but still light.
2. DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES
An estimated 750 million people around the world watched the wedding of a young Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles in July 1981 and this is largely considered on of the best dresses for a Royal wedding, thanks to its extravagance. With high expectations, the dress had to be a showstopper - designed by then-husband-and-wife duo David and Elizabeth Emmanuel, the ivory taffeta gown featured of-the-moment oversized leg-of-mutton puffed sleeves, a spectacular train of just under eight metres, while the accompanying tulle veil was a staggering 140 metres.
3. Kate Middleton, Princess of Wales, Evening Wedding Reception
With the wedding dress trend for brides to have a second look for their evening reception, Kate Middleton wasn’t going to miss the opportunity to wear another stunning dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. The silk A-line dress was simple in comparison to the ceremony gown, featuring a sweetheart neckline and an embellished belt that highlighted the Princess of Wales slender waist. Kate finished the look with a youthful, cropped fuzzy cardigan to keep the evening chill at bay. This shrug-style look is still a popular bridal style - this design from Phase Eight is a great option.
4. QUEEN ELIZABETH II
When the late Queen Elizabeth II married Prince Philip in 1947, post-war rationing meant that fabric for the gown had to be bought using coupons. Designed by Norman Hartnell, the fit and flare dress featured long sleeves and a delicate sweetheart neckline. Made from Chinese silk with a tailored bodice and short train, it reflected the times as the government only allowed the then-princess an extra 200 coupons towards her wedding day dress. However, despite the relatively simple design, the dress did not disappoint, featuring intricate floral embroidery added to the train with motifs of jasmine, lilac and white roses picked out in white crystals and pearls.
5. MEGHAN MARKLE, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX
When Prince Harry married Meghan Markle in May 2018, the former actress chose an elegant boat neck gown by British designer Clare Waight Keller, then-artistic director of the French fashion house Givenchy. While the dress itself was a sleek modern minimalist take on traditional wedding gowns, Markle’s five-metre long veil featured hand-embroidered symbols that represented the couple’s intertwined lives (the Californian poppy for her, a Wintersweet for Harry) as well as flowers for each of the 53 countries of the Commonwealth.
6. MEGHAN MARKLE, EVENING WEDDING RECEPTION
Like her sister-in-law before her, Meghan Markle chose a second wedding dress for the reception. Meghan chose a bespoke backless halterneck dress by British designer brand Stella McCartney , made from lily white silk crepe that highlighted her svelte figure. The dress drew comparisons to a similar dress once worn by her late mother-in-law, Diana Princess of Wales, in May 1992. The designer later created a ready-to-wear version of the gown in a viscose blend that sold for £3,500. Currently this white jewelled neckline dress is the closest look the brand has to Meghan's dress.
7. QUEEN LETIZIA OF SPAIN
Designed by leading couturier Manuel Pertegaz. Queen Letizia of Spain’s wedding dress for her marriage to King Felipe IV in 2004 is estimated to have cost US$8 million, making it one of the most expensive wedding dresses ever created. With a suitably regal high collar to satisfy the catholic country’s traditional covered up style, the dress featured elaborate gold detailing that crept up the front of the dress and also decorated the outer panels of the high collar and edging of the four metre long train.
8. OLYMPIA, PRINCESS BONAPARTE
For the wedding of two descendants of Napoleon Bonaparte I, bride Countess Olympia von und zu Arco-Zinnerberg chose a bold and beautiful Oscar de la Renta gown featuring a cut out fern-like oversized lace design as she said I do to Prince Jean-Christophe Napoleon Bonaparte. The strapless dress had a slightly lifted hem at the front, all the better to show off the bride’s ivory satin shoes and came with a matching capelet for the religious ceremony.
9. PRINCESS IMAN OF JORDAN
For her wedding to Jameel Alexander Thermiotis in March 2023, Princess Iman of Jordan chose a breathtaking Dior wedding gown, designed by Maria Grazia Chiuri. The high illusion neckline featured intricate lace across the decolletage with matching details at the cuffs of the long sleeves of an otherwise sleek, modern dress with precise tailoring. A gossamer fine veil decorated with floral embroidery completed the stunning wedding look.
10. PRINCESS CHARLENE OF MONACO
For the eagerly anticipated wedding of Charlene Wittstock to Prince Albert of Monaco, the South African former Olympic swimmer chose a bespoke design by Giorgio Armani. The chic shoulder-baring column design took 2500 hours to create and featured a staggering 40,000 Swarovski crystals, 20,000 mother of pearl teardrops and 30,000 gold-hued stones. The embellished design began under the cross-over detailed neckline, gradually widening across the skirt and along the train of the dress. The stunning look was finished with a double cathedral train and the bride chose to eschew all jewellery other than her engagement and wedding ring to truly allow the dress to shine.
11. PRINCESS MARIE-CHANTAL OF GREECE
Taking four months to make and reportedly costing £150,000, Princess Marie-Chantal’s Valentino gown is a stunning example of a royal wedding dress. The British-born heiress married Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece in July 1995 in a ceremony at St Sophia’s Cathedral in London. Made of ivory silk, the dress featured a structured boned bodice that flared into a magnificent skirt featuring stunning embroidery that crept up from the hem, while the strapless bodice was overlaid with an embellished floral beaded cropped top that finished just under the bust.
12. PRINCESS MADELEINE OF SWEDEN
Valentino is a popular wedding dress designer amongst royals, with Princess Madeleine of Sweden also choosing the designer for her nuptials to Christopher O’Neil in June 2013. The Princess’s dress allegedly cost US $225,000 – the off-the-shoulder upper half of the gown included beautiful ivory Chantilly lace which also extended as an overlay from the waist, over top of the silk skirt which included a six metre train.
13. QUEEN CAMILLA
For her wedding to King Charles (then Prince of Wales) in April 2005, Queen Camilla chose a floor length cream silk chiffon dress which was just glimpsed under a her beautiful oyster silk coat embellished with gold detailing, both of which were made by design duo Robinson Valentine, a favourite of the Queen. However, it was the stunning spray of gold feathers worn in Camilla’s hair designed by Philip Treacy that added a majestic touch to a comparatively demure wedding day ensemble.
14. SOPHIE RHYS-JONES, COUNTESS OF WESSEX
For her wedding to Prince Edward, Sophie Rhys-Jones chose a design by Samantha Shaw. The v-neck gown was made from hand-dyed silk organza and silk crepe and featured a long sleeved dress coat for the ceremony at St George’s Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle. The neckline, sleeves and train all impeccable beaded detailing – 325,000 cut glass and pearl beads were hand-sewn onto the dress. The perfect finishing touch? A white gold necklace with black and white pearls and matching earrings, a wedding gift from her new husband, designed by him in conjunction with Asprey and Garrard.
15. PRINCESS MARGARET
Like her sister Queen Elizabeth before her, Princess Margaret also chose a wedding dress by Norman Hartnell for her marriage to photographer Antony Armstong-Jones in May 1960. A decidedly more voluminous design, the silk organza skirt featured 30 metres of fabric that billowed out from the nipped in waist and close-cut bodice, designed to highlight and flatter the Princess’s petite figure. One notable difference however was the lack of decoration across the gown, with no beading or embroidery which created a sophisticated wedding look and also led to Life magazine naming the dress ‘the simplest royal wedding gown in history’.
16. PRINCESS RAJWA AL HUSSEIN OF JORDAN
When Saudi Arabian architect Rajwa Al Saif married the Crown Prince Hussein of Jordan in June 2023, she stunned onlookers with a custom white gown by Lebanese designer Elie Saab. The slender, close fitting column gown featured long sleeves as well a unique asymmetrical neckline and gathered bodice detailing. It was finished with a detachable sweeping white train featuring intricately embroidered flowers. The bride later switched dresses for the state banquet, choosing a bespoke Dolce & Gabbana cap sleeve ballgown with opera length gloves.
17. QUEEN MAXIMA OF THE NETHERLANDS
In February 2002, Maxima Zorreguita married the then Prince of Orange, Willem-Alexander of The Netherlands. The bride wore a high cowl-neck Valentino gown with three quarter sleeves and a five metre train. Flaring from an empire-line bodice, the skirt of the dress was inset with panels of embroidered lace and the entire look finished with the Dutch Pearl Button tiara which featured celestial embellishments for a fairytale-worthy flourish.
18. SARAH FERGUSON, DUCHESS OF YORK
Designed by Lindka Cierach and made from ivory duchesse satin Sarah Ferguson’s wedding dress for her nuptials to Prince Andrew featured sweet details for the couple’s big day. The dress featured heavy, intricate beading that incorporated symbols representing elements of the couple’s lives. As well as hearts to symbolise their romantic union, the Prince’s naval background was translated as waves and anchors while Scottish thistles marked Sarah’s family heraldry.
19. PRINCESS ALEXIA OF GREECE AND DENMARK
In July 1999, Princess Alexia of Greece and Denmark married Carlos Javier Morales Quintana at St Sophia Catherdal in London. For the occasion, the exiled princess chose a gown by Inge Sprawson, an Austrian designer favoured by her mother, Queen Anne Marie. The elegant white satin column gown was remarkably simple from the front, with long sleeves and a fitted bodice highlighting the Princess’s svelte shape. Flourishes came from the accessories, with the Princess wearing Prince Margaret of Connaught’s lace veil, the Khedive of Egypt tiara and diamond earrings to complement the sleek look.
20. INFANTA CRISTINA OF SPAIN
Infanta Cristina of Spain chose to go against tradition when she married Inaki Urdangarin in October 1997, raising eyebrows in the Catholic country. While otherwise covered up with long sleeves and a full skirt, the dress designed by Lorenzo Caprile controversially featured an off-the-shoulder neckline. The simple yet stunning design also featured barely visible intricate embroidery at the waist before fanning out to a spectacular full skirt and three metre train. Cristina’s lace veil was a carefully restored family heirloom, previously worn by her great-grandmother, Queen Victoria Eugenie, creating a marriage of tradition and modernity.
21. JETSUN PEMA, QUEEN OF BHUTAN
When Jetsun Pema married Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, King of Bhutan in October 2011, the bride’s dress set what may be a new record. It has been reported that it took a staggering three years to weave the traditional design. Featuring intricate patterns and a muiltitude of colours, the bride and groom eschewed western designs, opting instead for traditional wedding dress of her country.
22. PRINCESS SOFIA OF SWEDEN
Marrying Prince Carl Philip of Sweden in June 2015, Princess Sofia looked ethereal in a wedding dress by Swedish designer Ida Sjöstedt. The fitted empire line dress was made of a crepe silk and Italian organza, overlaid with a stunning couture lace that echoed the dress worn by Kate Middleton for her wedding four years prior. However, unlike The Princess of Wales, the former reality star’s dress featured a much wider v-neckline that exposed a star tattoo on her back.
23. PRINCESS ANNE
For her first wedding in 1973 to Captain Mark Phillips, Princess Anne chose a dress by Maureen Baker, chief designer for Susan Small; a favourite of the Princess. Featuring a high neck and dramatic wizard-like sleeves, the dress was deemed to be simplistic by many for a royal dress but also a design that reflected contemporary tastes of the Seventies.
24. PRINCESS ALEXANDRA OF LUXEMBOURG
Marrying in her partner’s Nicola Bagory’s native France in April 2023, Princess Alexandra of Luxembourg chose a distinctive custom Elie Saab creation for her wedding day. While the silhouette of the satin gown itself was a classic A-line cut, the dress featured a unique pleated fabric design that criss-crossed over the bodice, creating a knotted effect. To complement such a bold design without drawing attention away, the Princess opted for a simple diamond tiara and earrings as well as a simple, chic veil.
25. CROWN PRINCESS MASAKO OF JAPAN
For her wedding to Japan’s crown prince Naruhito in 1993, Masako Owada chose to have two dresses – marrying in a full traditional Japanese Imperial kimono and also wearing a western white wedding dress. However, it was her junihitoe, the traditional wedding kimono, that was truly breath-taking. In vibrant shades of green, gold and red, the elaborate 12 layer silk kimono took three hours to put on, which is not surprisingly when you learn it weighed a staggering 14 kilos!
26. PRINCESS NATHALIE OF DENMARK
When Princess Nathalie of Denmark wed Alexander Johannsmann in 2011, her majesty chose a design by Henrik Hviid. Made of heavy ivory satin, silk organza and lace, the dress had a distinctly vintage feel. The top half had a daisy-like lace overlay, with the five petal embellishment repeated as a delicate scattered pattern down the front of the skirt below a pleated cummerbund belt.
27. CROWN PRINCESS METTE-MARIT OF NORWAY
When Mette-Marit Tjessem Høiby, a former waitress and single mother, married the Crown Prince Haakon of Norway in August 2001, the union was considered by many to be a modern-day Cinderella story. However, rather than choose a grand gown like many of her Princess counterparts, Mette-Marit instead selected a simple square necked dress by Ove Harder Finseth. The dress was made from heavy silk crepe with a corseted bodice, delicately flared skirt and a modest two metre train.
28. PRINCESS EUGENIE OF YORK
When Princess Eugenie of York married Jack Brooksbank in October 2018, the princess chose British-based design duo Peter Pilotto. Featuring a corset and pleated full skirt, the dress featured a wide v-neckline and a low back, a particular design request made by the Princess. Eugenie asked for the detail in order to highlight the scar from Scoliosis surgery that she had undergone at the age of 12. Like many of her Royal cousins, Princess Eugenie’s wedding dress also featured floral motifs representing different elements of both her and her future husband’s family. They included Scottish thistles, Irish Shamrocks and the York Rose as well as Ivy, representing the couple’s home of Ivy Cottage at Kensington Palace.
29. QUEEN ANNE-MARIE OF DENMARK
Marrying King Constantine II of Greece in September 1964, Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark, the future Queen chose a relatively simple, timeless dress by Danish designer Jorgen Bender. With three-quarter sleeves and an empire line silhouette, the lace design on the dress is so subtle as to be barely perceptible, while the high boat neckline is effortlessly elegant, ensuring that the bride’s Khedive of Egypt Cartier tiara was not eclipsed.
30. CAROLINE OF MONACO, 1978
The daughter of former Hollywood star Grace Kelly, Princess Caroline of Monaco wedding dress for her first marriage to Parisian banker Philippe Junot in June 1978 was always going to be of the moment, with a round-necked sheer lace with a full skirt that finished just above the ground, by Dior. The sheer sleeves offered enough coverage for the traditional religious ceremony while the delicate flowers looping in her hair above her ears gave the look an air of a royal from another galaxy, Princess Leia.
31. PRINCESS CAROLINE OF MONACO, 1983
Following the annulment of her first marriage, Princess Caroline went on to marry Stefano Casiraghi in December 1983. For the intimate occasion which took place inside the Chamber of Mirrors room of the prince’s palace, the Princess once again chose a Dior dress but in a twist, she eschewed traditional white, opting instead for a chic golden silk charmeuse wrap style with a matching headband for the civil ceremony.
32. ZARA PHILLIPS
Coming only months after the marriage of Kate Middleton and Prince William, his cousin Zara Phillips wedding Mike Tindall was a distinctly more intimate and relaxed affair. The bride wore an ‘off the peg’ wedding dress designed by Stewart Parvin, couturier to the Queen and Prince Royal. It featured a chevron pleated bodice, dropped waist and a cathedral length train, creating a bell-shaped silhouette for the laidback royal.
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