The Most Inappropriate Outfits Worn To Royal Weddings

The royal wedding experience is circumscribed by rules that have a bearing on everything, from posture to table manners. Even the clothes people wear are subject to certain regulations. In fact, dressing protocol is one of the foremost features of royal etiquette. While a lot of these rules are not set in stone, they are traditionally accepted codes that members of the British monarchy — and those around them — are expected to follow at major royal events. As etiquette expert Myka Meier further elaborated to Town & Country magazine, "There will be additional guidance for the attendees. Though we will not see it, there will often be an internal document circulated to give them more information about the dress code." Yes, a royal wedding really comes with a strict dress code for guests.

Even so, there have been more than a few instances in the past where both royals and commoners alike have flouted this fabled propriety. Given the scale of royal weddings and their guest lists, one can always expect to see at least one renegade member at the celebration (if not more) breaking rules with their outfit. More often than not, it turns out to be a woman, considering that royal dressing rules bind women more tightly than they do men. It's all in the details; from hat sizes to dress cuts and color palettes, everything provides vast scope to bend the rules at these events. Here are some of the most inappropriate outfits worn to royal weddings. 

Of all the eccentric hats in royal history, the curiosity Princess Beatrice wore in 2011 sticks out as the most remarkable. The pale pink fascinator — with its extravagant squiggles and bow design — was momentous not just for setting new standards of royal zaniness but also for putting Beatrice on the fashion map as one of the royal family's boldest members. Forged by the family favorite milliner Philip Treacy, the topper was the object of widespread ridicule from the moment the young princess arrived at Westminster Abbey for the wedding of her cousin Prince William, spawning blogs, memes, press articles, and even an infamous, now-defunct Facebook page. 

Though her sister Princess Eugenie appeared no less striking in her feathered fascinator, Beatrice's pretzel hat — as the accessory came to be known — provoked a far more severe public reaction. "There was a moment where I thought I would find myself with my head on a spike outside the Tower of London," Treacy said on BBC's "Desert Island Discs." The response thankfully did not turn all that extreme and, in fact, took a more affirmative turn. Rising gracefully above the controversy, Beatrice raised over $130,000 by putting her iconic hat up for auction to benefit UNICEF and Children in Crisis, according to eBay. Expressing her amazement at the attention her hat got, Beatrice said in the listing, "I hope whoever wins the auction has as much fun with the hat as I have."

Sabrina Dhowre Elba made sure there was no room for doubt when it came to the brand of outfit she wore to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding in 2018. The model, accompanied by her then-fiancé Idris Elba, arrived at Windsor Castle looking like a vision straight out of a Gucci advertisement. From her white heels to her navy blue cardigan, nearly every part of her attire was trimmed with the luxury fashion house's signature colors. The more-than-conspicuous brand detailing made it hard to focus on or appreciate the rest of Dhowre Elba's outfit, which didn't sit well with a lot of royal watchers. Yet others were of the opinion that the cardigan look was too casual for such a formal, high-profile event. 

Though many netizens were unimpressed with the model's ensemble, her famous partner — whom she married later that year — stood solid as a rock beside her. Elba took to social media in defense of his significant other, who he said looked beautiful at the royal wedding, while simultaneously brushing off the haters (per Atlanta Black Star). Not least because of her outfit, and also the fact that she attended the royal wedding beside the "Luther" actor, the day marked a noteworthy moment for Dhowre Elba. "Every single person I know just saw me walk into this wedding on TV — and I don't even know how to explain that feeling," she told The Sunday Times, gushing over the widespread renown the royal wedding brought her.

In the royal family's pool of traditionally conservative dressers, Zara Tindall, granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth II, has always stood out as a fashion maverick. It only reinforces her long-held reputation as a royal rebel, a legacy she takes on after her mother Princess Anne. The outfit she chose to wear for the wedding of royal family friend Santa Palmer-Tomkinson and historian Simon Sebag-Montefiore back in 1998 was a memorable exhibit. 17 at the time, Tindall showed up to the synagogue in London where the ceremony was taking place in a pinstriped mini skirt and blazer combo. A matching hat and heels completed the ensemble, which was black from head to toe. Though not as startling as her notorious tongue piercing, the dress was a rule-bending anomaly for more than one reason.   

One of the first noticeable features of Tindall's getup was the color of her outfit. One wouldn't typically expect a royal who is not in mourning to wear black or related shades — and most certainly not to a wedding. In open defiance of this unwritten rule, Tindall went all out with a darkly colored outfit, accessorizing it with only minimal jewelry. Also hard to miss was the hem of the then-teenager's skirt that ended far above the prescribed knee-grazing length that royals usually follow. In retrospect, the pinstriped ensemble was rather on-brand for Tindall, whose wedding fashion over the years has been a catalogue of unorthodox royal looks — from graphic shirt dresses to strapless gowns.