20 best royal wedding dresses of all time: from Kate Middleton in Alexander McQueen and Princess Charlene of Monaco in Armani, to Queen Maxima of the Netherlands in Valentino
Royal weddings are usually lavish affairs, sometimes lasting several days. White wedding dresses are traditional in some countries, but other royals have worn bright colours. Regardless of the style, though, you’ll bet these queens, princesses and duchesses heaped on the luxury for their big days.
Scroll on to see 20 dazzling royal wedding looks from across the globe.
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Princess Beatrice
Princess Beatrice wore a Norman Hartnell gown that once belonged to Queen Elizabeth for her small, intimate wedding in 2020.
The queen wore the peau de soie taffeta and ivory duchess satin gown to the London film premiere of Lawrence of Arabia in 1962 and the State Opening of Parliament in 1967.
Lady Gabriella Windsor
Lady Gabriella Windsor married Thomas Kingston in a dress designed by Luisa Beccaria.
Lady Gabriella Windsor is the queen’s first cousin once removed. She and Kingston married at St. George’s Chapel in 2019.
Queen Suthida of Thailand
Thailand’s Queen Suthida wore an iridescent pink jacket and skirt for her surprise wedding to King Maha Vajiralongkorn.
In 2019, the king of Thailand married Suthida Tidjai in a lavish surprise ceremony where he poured sacred water on her head at Ampornsan Throne Hall in Bangkok. The event took people by surprise because the royal palace never acknowledged the pair’s relationship.
Princess Ayako of Japan
Ayako Moriya of Japan wore a red kouchiki – a cloak with long, wide sleeves – and a brown naga-bakama – a “divided skirt” – when she married shipping firm employee Kei Moriya.
Princess Eugenie
Princess Eugenie’s 2018 wedding dress was designed by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos and featured a neckline that folded around the shoulders, a low back and a long, flowing train.
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Meghan Markle
Princess Ariana Makonnen of Ethiopia
Dayangku Raabi’atul Adawiyyah Pengiran Haji Bolkiah of Brunei
Dayangku Raabi’atul ‘Adawiyyah Pengiran Haji Bolkiah of Brunei was dripping in precious stones, including a bouquet of gems, on her wedding day. They got married in the Istana Nurul Iman in Bandar Seri Begawan in 2015.
Princess Charlene of Monaco
Princess Charlene of Monaco’s simple Armani gown was embellished with subtle embroidery. She married Prince Albert II of Monaco at the Prince’s Palace in 2011.
Kate Middleton
Two billion people tuned in to watch Kate Middleton marry Prince William in a now-famous Alexander McQueen dress.
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Zara Phillips
Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan
Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan was a commoner before marrying King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck in a traditional Buddhist ceremony. They got married at Punakha Dzong in Bhutan’s ancient capital, Punakha, in 2011.
Sayako Kuroda
Sayako Kuroda gave up her royal title as Princess Nori of Japan to marry Yoshiki Kuroda in a plain, A-line dress and white gloves. They married in Tokyo in 2005.
Queen Letizia of Spain
Princess Maxima of the Netherlands
Princess Maxima of the Netherlands married Prince Willem-Alexander in a Valentino dress. Maxima’s dress, made of ivory mikado silk, featured three-quarter-length sleeves and lace panels on the sides of the skirt, according to Hello! magazine.
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Princess Martha Louise of Norway
Princess Martha Louise married Ari Behn in a collared coat wedding dress by Norwegian designer Wenche Lyche in 2002, according to Vogue.
Infanta Cristina of Spain
Infanta Cristina of Spain wore a custom silk off-the-shoulder Lorenzo Caprile gown in 1997 for her wedding to Iñaki Urdangarin.
Princess Marie Chantal of Greece
Princess Anne
Princess Anne’s cowl-necked wedding dress from 1973 was designed by Maureen Baker of Susan Small. The gown featured a high neck, trumpet sleeves and a two-metre-long (seven-foot-long) train, according to Vogue.
Princess Margaret
In 1960, Princess Margaret wed Antony Armstrong-Jones in a silk organza Norman Hartnell gown. The long-sleeved gown also featured a V-neckline, which Brides writes was risqué at the time.
- Meghan Markle wore a dazzling Givenchy piece for her wedding to Prince Harry, while Princess Beatrice wore a vintage dress that once belonged to Queen Elizabeth
- Sayako Kuroda gave up her title of Princess Nori of Japan to marry a commoner, as did Ayako Moriya, formerly Princess Ayako of Takamado