Kate Middleton and Princess Diana’s Wedding Dresses Both Had 1 Touching Detail That No One Ever Saw
Kate Middleton and her mother-in-law, the late Princess Diana, each wore an iconic wedding gown for their respective royal weddings. On July 29, 1981, the young Diana Spencer married Prince Charles while wearing a custom ivory silk and taffeta ball gown designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel.
Forty years later — on April 29, 2011 — Kate wed Prince William while wearing a Victorian-inspired gown created by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. The two dresses couldn’t be more different. But they both had one touching detail that no one ever saw.
Kate Middleton’s wedding dress combined ‘tradition and modernity’
The Duchess of Cambridge worked closely with Burton on the design of her wedding gown. In a palace statement released on her wedding day, it was revealed that Kate chose the British brand “for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing.”
“Miss Middleton wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterizes Alexander McQueen’s work,” the statement read.
The satin bodice of the dress — which narrowed at the waist and was padded slightly below the midsection — was inspired by the Victorian tradition of corsetry. It was also a staple of an Alexander McQueen design. Her train was nearly nine feet long, and the lace work on the dress was all done by hand by the Royal School of Needlework.
Princess Diana’s wedding dress set 1980s bridal trends
Diana’s silk taffeta dress featured puffed sleeves, a ruffled collar, and a voluminous skirt that was specially woven and dyed ivory. The Princess of Wales also wore a dramatic 25-foot train — the longest in royal wedding history — and a 153-yard tulle veil.
According to People magazine, the train was so long that it had to be “folded like a bedsheet” in order to make it fit into the horse-drawn carriage that took Diana to St. Paul’s Cathedral. But, folding the train ended up wrinkling it.
The cumbersome train was difficult to carry and required two bridesmaids to guide it down the aisle. When Princess Diana entered the cathedral she reportedly told the girls, “Do your best.”
Kate Middleton and Princess Diana’s wedding dresses had the same touching detail
For Diana’s “something old,” she included antique lace from Queen Mary sewn into her dress. For Kate’s “something borrowed,” she wore Queen Elizabeth’s Cartier Halo tiara. As for the “something blue,” both Kate and Diana wore the same detail that no one ever saw — a blue bow.
Diana’s blue bow was included inside the bodice, while Kate’s was also sewn into the interior of her dress.
Both brides wore earrings from their respective parents. Both royal couples walked back down the aisle to the same processional music — William Walton’s orchestral march Crown Imperial. And, of course, Kate wore the same 12-carat oval blue sapphire engagement ring that Diana wore on her wedding day.
The ring was given to Prince Harry after Diana’s death. But he gave the ring to William when he found out about his brother’s plan to propose.
