Details About Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress You Probably Missed
On April 29, 2011, William, Prince of Wales ,married Catherine, Princess of Wales, in a beautiful ceremony, which was aired all over the world for international royal watchers to enjoy as well. One noteworthy feature from the big day was Kate Middleton's wedding dress, designed by Sarah Burton, the former creative director for the Alexander McQueen brand. The staying power of Kate's iconic gown meant it was in the news again twelve years after her and William's wedding due to a viral TikTok.
However, casual royal watchers might not realize just how special Kate's wedding dress was. An article from the royal family's website outlining details of Kate's dress explained she and Burton collaborated on the design. "The dress epitomises timeless British craftsmanship by drawing together talented and skilled workmanship from across the United Kingdom," it read.
The Royal School of Needlework created the lace elements of Kate's wedding dress out of English Cluny and French Chantilly lace. They used the Irish Carrickmacross technique to do so. Throughout the design of Kate's dress, four flowers made of lace can be seen: roses, thistles, daffodils, and shamrocks, one flower for each country in the U.K. (England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, respectively). Flash forward to 2023, those same four flowers were used in Kate and Princess Charlotte of Wales' matching Alexander McQueen coronation dresses for King Charles III's coronation.
What was the skirt of Kate's wedding dress supposed to look like?
In addition to the four different kinds of flowers made out of lace on Catherine, Princess of Wales' wedding dress, the skirt has a connection to flowers as well. According to the royal family's website, "The skirt echoes an opening flower, with white satin gazar arches and pleats."
Making a wedding dress for a princess is serious work. While working with the lace, the Royal School of Needlework embroiderers were required to wash their hands regularly. The article on Kate's dress said, "The workers washed their hands every thirty minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and the needles were renewed every three hours, to keep them sharp and clean."
The embroiderers who worked on Kate's dress did not know who it was designed by at first. They found out only a bit earlier than the rest of the world. In interviews with BBC News, some of the workers gushed about the great time they had contributing to the dress. One such embroiderer, Anne Butcher, added, "It's a once in a lifetime chance. We've worked as a team and we are pleased with the response to the dress."
The dress was officially ready to go the night before the wedding
The team from the Royal School of Needlework also embroidered Catherine, Princess of Wales' veil and shoes. Chloe Savage, another of the embroiderers who helped bring Kate Middleton's stunning wedding dress to life, spoke to People in 2021 and provided some personal insight on the process of making it.
Savage said the last fitting was the morning before Kate Middleton and Prince Williams's wedding. After that, Savage and the rest of the team were able to secure the lace around the seams. That night, the dress was finished.
"Around 10 p.m., Sarah Burton did her final inspection, then we carefully packed everything all up and handed it to the guy who was escorting the dress to Kate," Savage explained. "We then went to the pub for a drink!" Savage also recounted watching the wedding as it aired on TV and finally telling her daughter and friends the truth about the special project she had been working on. There's no doubt that Kate's wedding dress is a great thing to have on any designer or embroiderer's resume.