We are so thrilled to finally know the designer of the wedding dress of Meghan Markle for her marriage to His Royal Highness Prince Harry. The stunning simple silhouette designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy will go down in history as a timeless and beautiful choice for the new Princess Harry.
Like the Duchess of Cambridge's dress, Ms Markle's gown was kept top secret until she finally made her way to St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle on Saturday afternoon 19th May, 2018.
Huge crowds gathered in Windsor, including hundreds of die-hard royalists - many sporting the national colours of both Britain and the United States - having camped out overnight to secure the best views. Senior members of the Royal family and a raft of celebrities were among the 600 invited guests and another 2,640 members of the public who were chosen to watch the ceremony from the grounds of Windsor Castle.
How the choice would have taken place:
The Designer
Royal weddings typically select the designer of their wedding dress based on the country they will now represent. For Ms. Meghan Markle (now Duchess of Sussex), this would have been an interesting and deep choice to have made. Having relinquished her USA citizenship to marry her soulmate, should she choose an American designer as a final farewell, select an international designer from one of the countries of the Commonwealth or select a British designer to truly commit to her new home and country and royal role.
The London-based - while Australian originated - brand Ralph & Russo was in the lead as the bookie's favourite, but Burberry, Erdem, Stella McCartney and Roland Mouret were still among the contenders up until the last minute. Givenchy was an outside favourite and Clare Waight Keller being a British national makes the perfect combination.
The Colour
It was considered an unusual choice when Queen Victoria wore white to her 1840 wedding to Prince Albert, after asking no one else to wear the colour. Rumour has it that she didn't choose the colour as a mark of her purity as many believe; rather it was the best colour to highlight the handmade Honiton lace she'd ordered to support the industry that had been buffeted by the introduction of machine copies. Whatever the truth, the tradition has now stuck and a large majority of brides now stick with white.
The Details
Many Royal brides have used the patterns as a tribute to their homeland - this includes lace or beadwork. The sleeves of the gown - long sleeves tend to be the norm for royal weddings. The train is another decision to make, the Duchess of Cambridge had a very long train as well as Princess Diana in 1981 (25-feet) and Queen Elizabeth.
Meghan's lace trimmed veil was embroidered with every representative flower of the Commonwealth. A most perfect and well thought out detail for a Royal Princess and now Duchess of Sussex.
The Flowers
Royal wedding florists worked their magic on St George's chapel the night before the wedding, as teams worked to transform it into a venue fit for a Princess.
An arch of white roses greeted guests who walked into the chapel through the West Door, perfectly styled for be some beautiful photographs of celebrities and Royals in their finery.
The garlands matched those which twine around the front of the organ inside the chapel itself.
The Modern Royals
The Prince of Wales stepped in for the father of the bride, walking Ms Markle down the aisle.
In a modern turn of events, His Royal Highness Prince Harry and Ms. Meghan Markle released their Order of Service very early. The full 21-page feature can be seen here.
HRH Meghan?
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will now be known as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Considering tradition, male members of the Royal family receive a title from the monarch on their wedding day, and the vacant title Duke of Sussex has always been regarded as the most likely choice for Prince Harry.
As well as her Duchess title, she may also be known as Princess Henry of Wales. She will not have the title of Princess Meghan since she is a princess by marriage, and not in her own right.
The title of Duchess of Sussex takes precedence since she holds it in her own right.
Ms Markle’s full name is Rachel Meghan Markle, but she was named as Meghan in Buckingham Palace’s announcement of the engagement, meaning she is unlikely to revert to Rachel.
The Prince will also take on the titles Earl of Dumbarton and Baron Kilkeel.
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