When Prince Harry announced his marriage to
Meghan Markle, there was a ton of speculation about just what kind of wedding dress her
royal highness-to-be would choose. Would she opt for an elegant Alexander McQueen
gown, like Kate Middleton? Or might she choose a piece that paid homage
to Harry's late mother, Princess Diana? Others wondered if she'd go a completely different
route and choose something totally untraditional to celebrate the spirit of her union. In the end, she seemed to find a happy medium
between classic and contemporary with her choice of a stunning Givenchy gown. Like many of her bridal predecessors, Markle's
wedding attire was meant to be remembered in the context of royal history, so let's
take a look back at all the recent regal wedding gowns, starting with the worst and working
our way back up to the best. Epic proportions Princess Diana, the people's princess, was
a fashion icon who used her love of color to signal her approachability and ditched
the stuffy gloves so she could hold other people's hands. As the budding bride of Charles, the heir
apparent, her wedding was of immense interest to the entire world, which meant her dress
had to be a sight worth tuning in for. As David Emanuel, designer of the famous dress,
told Entertainment Tonight: "This dress had to be young and sweet, but
it also had to be glam because she was going to be a royal princess. She couldn't do a quiet-looking, low-key little
gown" Her gown featured a record-breaking 25-foot-long
train, which was embroidered by hand with pearls and sequins. While the dress certainly made a statement,
it hasn't exactly held up by most modern fashion standards, which makes it no surprise that
her daughters-in-law didn't opt to emulate that sprawling design with their own nuptial
gowns. All that fabric still gets lugged around a
lot, though, because it makes for a popular museum attraction! Royal blue Whether you're the most ardent Anglophile
or just a casual fan of Netflix's The Crown, chances are you've heard of King Edward VIII's
abdication of the throne to marry Wallis Simpson. Their star-crossed love story was practically
made for television. The couple reportedly met while she was married
and he was still a prince, and the two entered into a relationship shortly before Edward
became king. But being king meant he wouldn't be able to
marry Simpson, the American socialite who was a two-time divorcee. So, less than a year after taking the throne,
Edward stepped away from his royal responsibilities in order to marry her. Although this didn't exactly sit well with
the Windsor family, Edward was given a new title as the Duke of Windsor and spent the
rest of his life with the woman he loved, after marrying her in a private ceremony in
France in 1937. The black and white photos of the day make
Simpson's dress appear white or cream, but her dress was actually a simple silk Mainbocher
gown made of a custom color that would later be called "Wallis Blue." Considering it was her third trip down the
aisle, Simpson opted for a very low-key and unfussy ensemble that made it very clear this
was not the typical royal wedding ceremony. Not that there was any confusion about that,
of course. Over sized Although Sarah "Fergie" Ferguson's name became
synonymous with scandal back in the late 2000s, her royal wedding to Prince Andrew in 1986
was a pretty blissful affair. "That is incredible because it doesn't seem
that long ago." "It is. Look at my face. Looong." Though Ferguson was feisty even then, her
wedding dress was somewhat typical of the late '80s. Lindka Cierach, an African-born British fashion
designer, created the dress made of ivory satin with large shoulder pads and incorporated
a ton of beading work. Ferguson's dress was basically a scrapbook
of embroidery documenting her relationship with Andrew, from the heart shapes that signified
their love, to the anchors and waves, which represented Andrew's naval career. Plus there were beaded bumblebees and thistles
to represent Ferguson's family crest and the train, which was 17 feet long and featured
the couple's initials on top of everything else. That's a lot of dress for an already large
personality. Part turtleneck The '70s was a weird era for fashion, so Princess
Anne, Queen Elizabeth II's only daughter, could chalk up her wedding dress choice to
the zany time period when she married Captain Mark Phillips. Even by that standard, though, Anne's gown
was still pretty peculiar. The princess chose a design by Maureen Baker,
who, at the time, was the head designer for the brand Susan Small. The Tudor-style gown featured piping on the
bodice and a high neckline, which basically made it look like an oversized turtleneck
sweater. On top of that, the ballooned Medieval sleeves
tapered at the wrists were another interesting choice. Despite its oddities, however, the dress still
somehow managed to be quite flattering to the princess. Flight attendant Princess Anne's first marriage to Captain
Mark Phillips started to dissolve in 1989 and the two were divorced by 1992. Later that same year, the princess married
Commander Timothy Laurence. Although Anne's wedding dress this time was
much simpler than the medieval Maureen Baker creation, it was still a turtleneck, seriously. Anne wore the very modest suit, which stopped
at the knee, with a matching white jacket and black shoes, making her look a bit like
a flight attendant. Cap feather When Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles
finally wed in 2005, Bowles picked an appropriate outfit for the occasion: a white chiffon gown
paired with a light blue and gold damask dress coat. The coat, made by Robinson Valentine, featured
a tasteful amount of gold embroidery throughout, including a design around the collar which
matched her gold feather headdress. While Bowles undoubtedly looked lovely, the
dramatic headdress was a little on the distracting side. A veil would not have made sense with her
ensemble, of course, but perhaps a smaller headpiece would've been a more fitting accompaniment
to her big day look. Of course, it wouldn't be the last time her
taste in hats would distract from an otherwise fine wedding day ensemble. Simply '90s When Prince Edward, the Queen's youngest son,
wed Sophie Rhys-Jones in 1999, their vows were exchanged in front of 200 million TV
viewers. And although her dress was very indicative
of the '90s thanks to those shoulder pads, her v-neck gown could easily be refashioned
for today. From far away, Rhys-Jones' gown seems pretty
minimalist, other than the long veil, but there is a lot more to this ensemble than
meets the eye. Part of the gown was made of hand-dyed silk
organza and it was also embellished with a whopping 325,000 pearls and crystal beads,
which meant this wedding gown was definitely fit for Rhys-Jones' new title as the Countess
of Wessex. Timeless elegance Ahead of Meghan Markle's big day, there was
a lot of speculation about which designer the former Suits actress would wear, and in
the end, Markle opted for a gleaming white silk A-line gown with three-quarter-sleeves
and a delicate off-the-shoulder neckline. The classic piece was paired with a 16-foot
silk veil with hand-embroidered flowers from each of the 53 Commonwealth countries, and
she also donned a tiara belonging to Queen Mary. While some royal wedding viewers thought Markle's
bridal gown was a bit understated, others were impressed by the new Duchess' decision
to keep it simple, and only time will tell how the look holds up for future generations
of royal watchers. Lace up These days, Queen Elizabeth is known for her
brightly colored outfits. Whether she's donning pink or a lime green
suit, she certainly doesn't shy away from making bold fashion statements. Although her use of color has evolved over
time, the Queen seems to have always had an eye for style, and her own wedding dress selection
was no exception. Although it's probably not a dress you'd say
yes to today, it's still pretty amazing, especially for having been made in 1947. Designed by Norman Hartnell and inspired by
Sandro Botticelli's Primavera, the then-princess' ivory-colored satin dress was embroidered
in a floral pattern with silver thread. The dress was also embellished with white
seed pearls imported from the United States and had a long silk tulle train attached at
the shoulders. Maybe her look was a bit extra, but what else
could one expect from the budding Queen of the commonwealth? Keeping classy Princess Margaret, Queen Elizabeth's sister,
married fashion photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960. Their big day was the first royal wedding
ever broadcast on television and it pulled in about 300 million viewers. And while she may have been hoping to say
"I do" to Peter Townsend before their engagement was doused by royal tradition, Margaret didn't
disappoint. Norman Hartnell, the same designer who created
Queen Elizabeth's stunning gown, created Margaret's. Although the princess' dress incorporated
silk organza much like the Queen's, it was much simpler overall but still looked like
the quintessential princess dress. The full skirt alone required over 30 meters
of fabric, and even more phenomenal was Margaret's dramatic tiara. Designed for Lady Poltimore in the 1870s,
it looked more like it was made for her. True self Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding
was the event of the decade, since he's second in line to assume the throne and has been
popular since his childhood, so the expectation for the Duchess of Cambridge to impress was
very high. Luckily, her decadent gown ended up being
a fashion victory. The bodice was inspired by Victorian-era corsets,
and the silk bottom of her gown was made to resemble a blooming flower, a detail that
could only be seen when the 9-foot-long train was lifted. Middleton's lace sleeves were also a great
touch and followed the tradition of some of the royal brides before her. If Kate hadn't already stolen everyone's hearts
before marrying her Prince, she certainly won the world over as the picture perfect,
modern princess bride. Thanks for watching! Click the List icon to subscribe to our YouTube
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