My interest in royal wedding dresses began at the age of ten, when Princess Diana walked down the aisle at St Paul's Cathedral.
It wasn't my first foray into fashion- that began at the age of five or six, when I'd copy illustrator Veronica Papworth's sketches from the Daily Express (like the one below) then play around with them, by re-designing the dresses, accessories and even the hairstyles.😀
Do you remember the cardboard cut-out dress-them-yourself dolls like these?
I used to draw around the doll then design my own clothes with tabs to fit onto her!
I was fascinated by the pageantry, and by the sheer glamour of Diana; who was young, fresh, beautiful and fashionable. I'm know she wasn't the first royal woman to be all of those things, but she was the first I became interested in.
The recent launch of the Royal Style in the Making exhibition at Kensington Palace (which I'm booked in to see😀), which contains this iconic dress, inspired in me the need to share my favourites.
I have only shown British royal brides, as that's what I know most about (feel free to comment and educate me regarding foreign royalty of all cultures).
Most of the royal wedding dresses and engagement rings are pretty darn nice. But, for me, only a handful really stand out and "speak" to me.
I've put a collection together (I don't think I need to point out that the majority of photos in this post are PDFs- I'm yet to be invited to a royal wedding!)
Here's my top five, in order of loveliness...
1
Sarah, Duchess of York, often got things wrong in terms of fashion- who could forget the black dress with that awful, duvet-like red satin wrap she wore for an evening event? If ever there was a woman in need of a stylist, it was Fergie in the 1980s.
But here, in 1986, she nailed it just perfectly and looked the best she ever did. I adore the fact that this Lindka Cierach gown sparkles and glistens, and find the gorgeous, simple neckline really appealing.
The back features a huge bow and it's magnificent. It worked for this dress and Fergie made bows her signature.
2
This is the dreamy crinoline I adored as a child, discovered in a book my mum bought me of royal wedding dress sketches. Worn by Queen Alexandra (then Princess Alexandra), consort to Edward VII at their wedding in 1863, and designed by Mrs James of Belgravia, my mum slung the book away without my permission. Grrr, grrr and a thousand grrrs!
Princess Alexandra had the dress altered so that she could wear it again. Here's a photo of mine, taken at the Fashion Museum, Bath. It was actually the second time I'd seen this dress- the first was at a 2002 Kensington Palace exhibition of royal wedding dresses. That exhibition also included the wedding gowns of the Queen, the Queen Mother, Queen Mary and Queen Victoria.
3
2018, and a stunning Peter Pilotto dress for a pretty girl with all her curves in the right places, and I love the deep V at the back. It was designed that way, and the dress worn without a veil so that Princess Eugenie could show off her scar from surgery to correct her scoliosis.
This twist at the back is very modern, and the 21st century equivalent to a bow.
4
It was difficult choosing between Princess Beatrice's 2020 wedding dress and her sister Eugenie's dress for third place, but the more sophisticated neckline of Eugenie's just clinched it for me.
That's not to say that this is not spectacular- designed by Norman Hartnell and previously word by the Queen, Beatrice's dress was altered with the addition of cute puff sleeves and also appropriately lengthened as Beatrice is taller.
5
I couldn't not include the 1981 Emanuel dress which sparked my interest- the wedding itself was the royal wedding to beat all royal weddings. As we all know, the marriage wasn't as much of a success.
After studying fashion I seriously considered working in the field of bridalwear. Interesting, as I've never been in a rush to walk down the aisle myself, and if I did it would only be a small affair (a romantic elopement appeals). I'd make sure my dress (something which could be dyed and worn again) was gorgeous, though!
Here's one that almost made my list, and it's good ol' Queen Victoria marrying her beloved Prince Albert, in 1840.
Interestingly, it's quite revealing in terms of being off-the-shoulder (like her daughter in-law, Princess Alexandra's was). It's something that's not well thought of for royal brides nowadays, and that's a shame.
1
When it comes to engagement rings, this iconic sparkler, worn by Princess Diana and then the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate Middleton, has got to be the best. I even own a copy, worn as a dress ring.
Funnily enough, despite loving it, if I ever got engaged I wouldn't want a ring like this- I'd want a solitaire diamond.
2
Camilla Parker Bowles, the Duchess of Cornwall's Art Deco heirloom ring was once worn by Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother.
It's timeless and absolutely stunning, but to me more of a dress ring than an engagement ring.
3
This was designed for Queen Elizabeth II (then Princess Elizabeth) using diamonds hacked from a tiara once belonging to Princess Alice of Battenberg, the mother of her intended, Prince Philip.
The queen wanted something she could wear every day, and so would I. So, for my engagement, it would be a toss-up between this beauty and the next ring...
4
Princess Beatrice's solitaire was enhanced by Art Deco baguette styling on the shoulders. Does this still make it a solitaire? Kind of...
It was hard choosing between this and the Queen's ring for third place.
5
A Burmese ruby formed the centrepiece of Fergie's ring, chosen to match her striking red hair.
This one nearly made the list. I liked it before the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, had it altered, though. I just prefer a chunky ring to a flimsy band.
If I ever get engaged I'm having a chunky ring, as I'd just bend or break something delicate!
An additional adorable, although this one was always just a dress ring. This striking aquamarine has been worn by both Diana and Meghan.
In terms of veils, there are only two which have ever stood out for me, for much the same reason as each other.
This is Meghan with her 16ft diaphanous train, which was decorated with embroidered flowers of the Commonwealth, plus a Californian poppy to represent her American background.
An update:- since writing this I've learnt that it's not actually her veil- it's a train sewn onto the shoulders. Oh well, I still love it!
From classic Veronica Papworth sketches to royal bridal fashion, as a teenager I then turned more mainstream, although as a punk/goth/ general weirdo I did once design a collection inspired by rubber and lace cobwebs (don't ask!)
I did end up working for the mass market, as a designer, but was always a bit too avant-garde to fit in properly.
Here's me conforming. The middle gal's wearing my dress, designed for fashion chain New Look.
Here's one of my mood boards, which sat in my portfolio for years.
Here's a link to more:-
Some older stuff, showing a bit of my wackiness, and I actually pulled this out of the bin to photograph- before discarding it!
Here's another link to more of the same ilk:-
There was not enough work available in the ailing British fashion industry, so I had to move on. And it worked, as I love writing more than designing- it's more academically challenging, and I need something meaty, to get my teeth into.
But I will always retain some interest in clothes...
TTFN
The Miss Elaineous
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