Royal Wedding dresses down the years
The most important detail for royal watchers on May 19 will be what Meghan Markle wears when she marries Prince Harry. Here's a look at some of the styles her predecessors have chosen.
Coupon Queen
When then-Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip in 1947, wartime rationing was still in effect. Elizabeth used ration coupons, some donated from young women across the country, to purchase the silk for her Norman Hartnell gown. The dress was adorned with crystals and more than 10,000 seed pearls imported from the US. The train was 13 feet (4 m) long.
A wedding worth abdicating for
The scandal surrounding the decision of King Edward VII to abdicate the throne so he could marry the twice-divorced American socialite Wallis Simpson in 1937 is well-known. For the more modest royal affair, Simpson tapped American designer Mainbocher to make her light-blue wedding dress. The dress was one of the most copied of her time, and afterward donated to the Metropolian Museum in New York.
Bringing Tudor Back
For her wedding to Captain Mark Phillips in 1973, Queen Elizabeth's daughter Princess Anne chose a "Tudor-style" gown with medieval sleeves designed by Maureen Baker. The dress was noted at the time for adhering to contemporary fashion trends in a break from more traditional styles for royal brides. Anne was also the first English princess to be heavily involved in the design process herself.
The world's most famous wedding dress
The gown worn by then-Lady Diana Spencer at her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981 is perhaps the most well-known in history. The puffed sleeves and full skirt would impact bridal styles for years to come. The dress by David and Elizabeth Emmanuel cost 9,000 pounds and featured a 25-foot (7.62 m) train.The huge train made it notoriously difficult for Diana to fit in her wedding carriage.
Heiress to the throne
Princess Victoria of Sweden broke with tradition in 2010 when she married a commoner, her former personal trainer Daniel Westling. She selected Swedish designer Pär Engsheden to craft the minimalist gown made of duchess silk satin. On her head, the future queen wore the famous Cameo Tiara, which was originally given to Empress Josephine on her wedding day by her husband, Napoleon Bonaparte.
From Tasmania to Copenhagen
Born Mary Donaldson in Australia, Princess Mary joined what is perhaps Europe's most popular royal family when she married Frederik, the Crown Prince of Denmark in 2004. The dress was made by Danish designer Uffe Frank, and included 100-year old Irish lace that was originally given to Frederik's great-grandmother, Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden.
The most-watched wedding in history
36.7 million people in the UK and more than 72 million around the world tuned in to watch the wedding of Kate Middleton to Prince William in 2011. Designed by Sarah Burton of fashion house Alexander McQueen, Middleton sought to combine tradition and modernity in her gown. The bodice was designed in the 19th century style, while the full skirt was meant to mimic an opening flower.