
Although it’s been a few years since Kate Middleton and Prince William’s historic wedding in 2011, the couple’s royal wedding still makes headlines, even after that of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. While Middleton’s wedding day looked as perfect and fairytale-worthy as it gets, there was apparently some behind-the-scenes drama about her dress a bit before the ceremony. Middleton reportedly cried after wedding dress designer leaked, despite trying to keep the news a secret.
As it was the first royal wedding in 30 years at the time, every detail of the procedure was big news, and of course everyone was eager to know what the dress would look like. More than a month before the big day, Sunday Times revealed that Middleton’s dress was designed by Sarah Burton, the creative director of Alexander McQueen. As a member of Secrets of the royal seamstresses documentary, royal correspondent Katie Nicholl claimed the Duchess cried after the news. “Behind the scenes I think it caused tears at the Palace because Kate had done all she could to keep the wedding dress a secret,” she said.
Middleton chose McQueen for “the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional work and technical construction of clothing”, Saint James Palace said in a press release following the marriage. Middleton apparently wanted to combine traditional styles with a modern aesthetic, which led her to seek advice from the old one Vogue Editor-in-Chief Alexander Shulman. “I thought that the extraordinary level of craftsmanship and their tradition of working with symbolism would live up to it, that Sarah and Catherine would get along as women, and that it would be great to have a relatively non-traditional fashion house with this privilege, “Shulman told Marie Claire.
The overall result was absolutely breathtaking and Middleton looked happy despite the drama. The sleeves of the dress were embellished with handmade lace with roses, daffodils, thistles and shamrocks, the national emblems of England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland , respectively. His train was almost 9 feet long (short compared to Princess Diana’s 25 foot train). Burton also designed the second wedding dress, which Middleton wore to the reception, as well as Pippa Middleton’s bridesmaid dress.
Fortunately, the escape of the designer chosen by the Duchess did not prevent the nuptials from being joyous and beautiful. The dress is now displayed at Buckingham Palace, and Alexander McQueen has become a frequent mark in the Middleton rotation – including at the royal wedding of Markle and Prince Harry. While the upcoming royal wedding is a long one, at least this one continues to give royal fans new information.