The wedding season is here. But which Royal dresses are the most hotly searched by brides-to-be in search of inspiration?
- Royal events have sent wedding searches shooting up by 500 per cent in recent weeks
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The Coronation has sent clicks for royal wedding dresses soaring, says a new study.
Searches have shot up by more than 1000 per cent and for weddings by more than 500 per cent as the public embraces romance and nostalgia.
A spokesperson for Karen Millen, which compiled the figures, told The Mail’s Royals section: ‘These findings shed light on the impact of a royal wedding, with the right dress capturing the internet and inspiring future brides-to-be for years to come.’
So which royal wedding gowns have impressed us the most?
Princess Elizabeth and Lieutenant Philip Mountbatten pictured after their wedding in 1947
Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrong-Jones on their wedding day at Buckingham Palace after the ceremony in May 1960
1. MEGHAN MARKLE, DUCHESS OF SUSSEX
Meghan Markle’s wedding dress for her marriage to Harry in 2018 is the most Googled dress from any British royal wedding, receiving over 28,760 searches a month.
The minimal style Givenchy dress, made of silk with minimal embellishments, was designed by Claire Waight Keller.
Her veil was made from silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers in silk threads and organza, while the look was completed by a Cartier bracelet and earrings and a Queen Mary diamond bandeau tiara, loaned to her by the Queen.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan Markle, Duchess of Sussex walk down the west steps of St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, after their wedding ceremony on May 19, 2018
2. KATE MIDDLETON, PRINCESS OF WALES
Kate Middleton’s 2011 Alexander McQueen dress is the second most-searched British royal wedding dress, receiving 16,480 estimated monthly searches.
Her dress was made of ivory satin and couture lace detail, which featured the national flowers of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
The £250,000 intricate look, which included a lace bodice hand-stitched by the world’s best seamstresses at the Royal School of Needlework, became an instant hit when it was debuted at Westminster Abbey on 29th April, 2011.
Prince William and his bride Kate Middleton leaving Westminster Abbey, following their wedding on April 29, 2011
3. DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES
Princess Diana’s wedding dress for her marriage to King Charles in 1981 is the third most searched with 15,990 monthly Google searches.
Diana’s dress has gone down in history as one of the most iconic wedding gowns. A highly-confidential project designed by the then-husband and wife duo, David and Elizabeth Emanuel, it showcased the maximalist style of the 1980s.
Covered in 10,000 pearls, the dress was made from ivory silk taffeta and antique lace that was embroidered with sequins. The gown was complete with a 25-foot train and a 153-yard veil – making it the longest in royal history.
The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul’s Cathedral in July 1981
4. QUEEN ELIZABETH II
Queen Elizabeth II’s dress is searched over 2,940 times per month. Norman Hartwell made the 1947 wedding dress for her marriage to Prince Phillip.
The princess-style dress was made of satin and was embroidered with pearls, silver thread and crystal beads, which was purchased using ration coupons following World War II.
Hartnell cited Botticelli’s painting of Primavera as his inspiration. He first drew out the embroidery design with his head embroideress, Miss Flora Ballard, and describes how ‘the motifs had to be assembled in a design proportioned like a florist’s bouquet’.
Princess Elizabeth, and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, styled Prince Philip in November 1957, on their wedding day
5. PRINCESS BEATRICE
Princess Beatrice’s wedding dress from 2020 receives more than 1,500 monthly searches.
The Norman Hartnell dress was originally designed in the 60s for Queen Elizabeth II, who loaned it to Beatrice for her wedding day.
This gown was made using Peau De Soie taffeta in shades of ivory, complete with perfectly puffed organza sleeves (added for Beatrice), and finished off beautifully with intricate diamante embellishment to the bodice.
It was remodelled by Angela Kelly and Stewart Parvin and the changes breathe a new lease of life into this archival piece.
Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi outside The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, after their wedding on July 18, 2020
6. PRINCESS MARGARET
It is more than six decades since Princess Margaret’s marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones, but her dress still gets 1,340 searches a month.
For her wedding gown, Margaret turned to Norman Hartnell – the same designer who had made her sister the then Princess Elizabeth’s wedding dress.
While her dress may have been dubbed as simple at the time, it has stood the test of time and set trends for years to come – featuring minimal embellishments, much like Meghan’s.
The silk organza gown was rumored to have been fitted to showcase Princess Margaret’s figures and sported long sleeves, a v-neckline, a fitted waist and a skirt so full that it needed 30 meters of fabric.
Princess Margaret is accompanied by her brother-in-law Prince Philip during her wedding to Antony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey in 1960
7. QUEEN CAMILLA
Queen Camilla’s wedding dress is searched for around 1,330 times each month.
The 2005 Robinson Valentine design was a knee-length cream silk dress featuring a hem of appliqued discs. Camilla wore a matching silk oyster coat with a diamond and pearl brooch and a Philip Treacy hat.
She is the only royal bride to re-wear her wedding dress, as she attended the National Assembly of Wales opening in 2007.
Camilla wore a second look for the blessing at St. George’s Chapel: a pale blue chiffon dress, a matching coat with gold embroidery, and a gold feather headdress tipped with Swarovski diamonds.
Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles in silk pictured leaving the Service of Prayer and Dedication blessing their marriage at Windsor Castle on April 9, 2005
8. PRINCESS EUGENIE
Princess Eugenie’s 2018 wedding dress receives over 730 monthly searches.
The bride stunned in the V-neck dress made from a jacquard of silk, cotton and viscose blend with a low back, designed to display the scars from her childhood operation for scoliosis by London-based Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos.
The fabric of the dress – described as a ‘major departure’ from the choices of previous royal brides by celebrity stylist Lucas Armitage – features symbols that are meaningful to the bride and groom, including thistles.
The voluminous skirt and dramatic train were very regal when teamed with the Queen Mother’s Greville emerald tiara and Charlotte Olympia shoes.
The wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank took place on 12 October 2018 at St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle
9. PRINCESS ANNE
Princess Anne’s wedding dresses are searched some 490 times per month.
Her first wedding dress, which she wore on November 14, 1973, for her wedding to Captain Mark Phillips, was a Tudor-style with trumpet sleeves made by Maureen Baker, the head designer for the ready-to-wear company Susan Small.
The gown featured a high-collared and had an embroidered Tudor style, which was considered to be very similar to Queen Elizabeth I’s fashion.
Although Princess Anne’s dress was said to be simplistic compared to prior royal wedding gowns. it followed the wedding trends of the 1970s.
Princess Anne and Mark Philips after their wedding at Westminster Abbey in 1973
10. SARAH FERGUSON, DUCHESS OF YORK
Sarah Ferguson’s 1986 dress receives over 280 estimated monthly searches.
The Lindka Cierach design which saw a team of five women laboring in top secret for four months was made of satin and featured intricate beadwork.
Before joining the royal family, the Duchess of York wanted to pay homage to her family through incorporating elements from her family’s coat of arms – a bumblebee and thistles – into her wedding dress.
As well as these, anchors and waves also decorated the gown to represent Andrew’s sailing background.
Fergie topped off the heartfelt look by hiding the couple’s initials under the 20-foot long veil, with the groom’s monogram in the center.
Sarah, Duchess of York, and Prince Andrew, Duke of York, pictured walking arm-in-arm following their wedding ceremony at Westminster Abbey on July 23, 1986
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