Kate Middleton Didn’t ‘Relax’ With Her ‘Unusually’ Formal Second Wedding Dress, Fashion Expert Says
Happy anniversary, Prince William and Kate Middleton. April 29, 2024, marks 13 years of marriage for the Prince and Princess of Wales. In honor of the milestone, we’re revisiting their 2011 wedding day. Not their fairytale balcony kiss or Kate’s iconic wedding gown, but the second, lesser-known dress she wore for the reception. Ahead, why a fashion expert says Kate broke tradition with her second wedding dress and didn’t “relax.”
Kate changed into a second wedding dress for a Buckingham Palace reception
After walking down the aisle in a long-sleeve Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen gown complete with a tiara and dramatic train, Kate debuted another look.
For an evening reception at Buckingham Palace hosted by the late Queen Elizabeth II, Kate wore a satin A-line gown from the same designer. It had a sweetheart neckline and sparkly embellishments at the waist.
Kate completed the look with a white fuzzy cardigan and the sapphire and diamond engagement ring that used to belong to her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana. (William proposed to Kate in Kenya after carrying the ring around in his backpack.)
Kate ‘kept up’ royal wedding ‘formalities’ with her second wedding dress
Kate’s second wedding dress didn’t necessarily showcase a more relaxed or informal royal bride. Although Kate did let her hair down in one way … by literally letting her hair down.
According to Miranda Holder, a stylist and royal fashion expert, royal brides can leave behind “formalities” with a second wedding dress, with the opportunity to “fully express” themselves.
“Having a second option allows these blushing brides a moment to fully express who they really are, how they want to look—and more importantly feel—once the initial formalities of the ceremony and official photographs are over,” she told Express.
However, unlike other royal brides, Kate continued the “formalities” with her second wedding dress. “Unusually, the Princess of Wales kept up the formalities with her second look,” Holder said. Instead, the now-42-year-old “simply scaled down in terms of grandeur and lost her enormous train.”
“The dress is simple and sweet, the cardigan very pretty,” she said. “But it feels like she didn’t have the opportunity to really relax on this occasion.”
It certainly could’ve simply been a style choice by Kate. Or, perhaps, the fact that unlike Princess Eugenie and Meghan Markle, who both wore more relaxed second wedding dresses, she is a future queen.
Second wedding dresses among British royals typically leave room for more self-expression
Holder continued, saying second wedding dresses among British royals allow them to let loose—at least a little bit—after the ceremony and express themselves more.
“I’m all for second wedding dresses, budget and time allowing. Your wedding is an occasion where all eyes are on you,” she said.
“Being a celebrity or royal and getting married increases the pressure significantly so a second dress is a great idea as it allows the bride to enjoy a variety of looks,” the fashion expert explained.
Not to mention, a royal bride’s wedding dress can be part of a much larger agenda. “Often on these occasions, the first bridal gown is a formality, a family heirloom, a political statement, or part of the larger PR machine that surrounds them,” she said.
