20 of the Most Beautiful Royal Wedding Dresses That Aren’t Kate Middleton’s or Grace Kelly’s
Kimberly Wang
Kimberly Wang
Kimberly Wang writes about all things pop culture, tech, style, and beauty. She's a Bay Area transplant and has an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University. On a sunny New York day, you can find her hanging out with her mini schnauzer Isabelle Jellybean on a blanket in Central Park.
Since we're all quite familiar with Kate Middleton's Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen creation and Grace Kelly's oft-imitated-never-duplicated Helen Rose dress, we rounded up the best regal wedding ensembles from the last 40 years that may be a tad lesser known. Scroll through to see what these royal brides opted to wear on their big days all over the world.
Queen Letizia of Spain: Before she was queen, Letizia Ortiz was a journalist and news anchor. She wed Crown Prince Felipe (now King) of Spain on May 22, 2004. The long-sleeved gown with an embroidered collar and impressive train was designed by renowned Spanish couturier Manuel Pertegaz. (Photo via Tim Graham/Getty)
Queen Rania of Jordan: The social-media-savvy queen consort of Jordan married Prince Abdullah on June 10, 1993, after the couple met at a dinner party. The modest, short-sleeved, gold-detailed gown drew from Syrian formal dresses of the past and was created by British designer Bruce Oldfield. (Photo via RABIH MOGHRABI/AFP/Getty)
Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau: The human rights activist married Prince Johan Friso of the Netherlands on April 4, 2004, in a white gown decked out in 248 bows of varying sizes. The "memorable" (as per her request) gown was created by Dutch design duo Viktor & Rolf. (Photo via Michel Porro/Getty)
Masako, Crown Princess of Japan: The Harvard- and Oxford-educated Masako Owada married the crown prince of Japan on June 9, 1993, and entered one of the oldest monarchies in the world. The then-29-year-old wore a traditional bridal juni-hitoe, or "12-layered garment," that cost $300,000. (Photo via Imperial Household Agency/Getty)
Victoria, Crown Princess of Sweden: The heir apparent of the Swedish throne wed her personal trainer Daniel Westling on June 19, 2010, not coincidentally her royal parents' 34th wedding anniversary. The gown was made with a cream-colored duchess silk satin and featured a unique rounded boatneck collar. In true royal fashion, her train stretched 16 feet long! The unforgettable look was the brainchild of Swedish designer Par Engsheden. (Photo via Eero Hannukainen/All Over Press Sweden/Getty)
Charlene, Princess of Monaco: Charlene Wittstock was a former South African Olympic swimmer before she married Prince Albert of Monaco. Taking a different approach to royal wedding fashion, the statuesque blonde was a vision in a more form-fitting, modern, off-shoulder dress by Giorgio Armani. While the frock looks simple enough from the top, it featured intricate scrolling beadwork from the hem up that took 100 hours to embroider. (Photo via Andreas Rentz/Getty)
Princess Marie of Denmark: French-born Marie Cavallier said "I do" to Prince Joachim of Denmark on May 24, 2008. Her classic drop-waist gown featured three-quarter lace sleeves and a sweetheart neckline, and was designed by Spanish-Italian fashion house Arasa Morelli. She paired her dress with a floral tiara borrowed from her mother-in-law Queen Margrethe. (Photo via Pascal Le Segretain/Getty)
Princess Sofia, Duchess of Värmland: When Sweden's playboy prince Carl Philip got hitched on June 13, 2015, the whole world was enthralled by his lovely bride, Sofia Hellqvist. The former reality star (yes, reality star) and model walked down the aisle in a breathtaking custom creation by Sweden's Ida Sjöstedt. The look featured long lace sleeves, an A-line silhouette, and a subtle V-neckline. (Photo via Luca Teuchmann/WireImage)
Queen Máxima of the Netherlands: The Argentinian-born Queen of the Netherlands met the Crown Prince of Holland at the Seville Spring Fair, not knowing he was a royal. The couple exchanged vows on February 2, 2002, and the future queen wore a Valentino couture gown made of ivory Mikado silk. The regal ensemble had a high neck and a 16.5-foot train with inset lace panels. (Photo via Antony Jones/Julian Parker/Mark Cuthbert/UK Press via Getty)
Queen Jetsun Pema of Bhutan: At only 21, Jetsun Pema became the Queen of Bhutan when she married King Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck on October 13, 2011. For the occasion, the bride donned a traditional Bhutanese kira, which took three years to weave. She also wore a multi-hued brocade crown given to her by her royal husband when he made her his queen. (Photo via Naveen Jora/India Today Group/Getty)
Caroline, Princess of Hanover: While the Monégasque noble's June 28, 1978 marriage to Parisian banker Philippe Junot didn't last, her very '70s royal wedding dress by Marc Bohan at Christian Dior will forever go down in the annals of history. Her mother, Grace Kelly, might have the most-copied nuptial look of all time, but Princess Caroline's is also iconic with its bell sleeves and her era-appropriate headpiece. (Photo via Pool MARIAGE CAROLINE DE MONACO/Gamma-Rapho via Getty)
Stéphanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg: Countess Stéphanie and Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg, celebrated their big day on October 20, 2012. She wore her Lannoy family tiara and a bespoke Elie Saab gown that was resplendent with a 13-foot train. Threaded with silver, 50,000 pearls, and 80,000 crystals, the dress took over 3,900 hours to make. (Photo via Pascal Le Segretain/Getty)
Sophie, Countess of Wessex: Sophie Rhys-Jones first met Prince Edward, the youngest son of Queen Elizabeth II, in 1987 and married on June 19, 1999 in a V-neck gown made of hand-dyed ivory silk organza by designer Samantha Shaw. The robe was adorned with about 325,000 pearl and cut-glass beads. Wow. (Photo via Anwar Hussein/Getty)
Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece: London-born children's wear designer Marie-Chantal Miller tied the knot with Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece on July 1, 1995. The bride wore a fashionable $225,000 pearl-encrusted, high-neck Valentino gown with a 15-foot Chantilly lace train. (Photo via Tim Graham/Getty)
Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark: Mary Donaldson and Danish Crown Prince Frederik's love story is straight out of a Netflix rom-com. The Aussie ad sales exec and the prince met in a pub during the 2000 Sydney Olympics when he introduced himself as "Fred." The pair walked down the aisle May 14, 2004, with the princess in an ivory duchesse scoop-neck gown by Danish designer Uffe Frank. (Photo via SVEN NACKSTRAND/AFP/Getty)
Princess Claire of Luxembourg: The German bioethics researcher married Prince Felix of Luxembourg on September 21, 2013. She followed in her sister-in-law's footsteps (Stéphanie, Hereditary Grand Duchess of Luxembourg) and also commissioned a custom Elie Saab gown for the occasion. Princess Claire's final design was made with ivory-colored silk and intricately embroidered with Chantilly lace and silvery thread. (Photo via Grand-Ducal Court/Guy Wolff/Handout/Getty)
Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah of Brunei: As the daughter of the sultan of Brunei, one of the world's richest men, Princess Hajah Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah's wedding dresses (she had a few!) were naturally lavish AF. When she married Pengiran Haji Muhammad Ruzaini in a multi-day celebration in September of 2012, she donned a silver and gold crystal-beaded ensemble, a lavendar look decked out in crystals, and a gold outfit dripping in diamonds. (Photo via STR/AFP/Getty)
Princess Elisabetta Maria of Belgium: Elisabetta Maria Rosboch von Wolkenstein of Italy became the princess of Belgium on July 5, 2014, when she and Prince Amedeo got hitched. Her Valentino gown was extremely understated as far as royal weddings go, with a Swiss-dot paneled illusion neckline and a sweeping train. (Photo via Elisabetta Villa/Getty)
Princess Madeleine of Sweden: The 35-year-old found her happily ever after with American financier Christopher O'Neill on June 8, 2013. Her exquisite cap-sleeved lace number was done by Valentino and had a gorgeous 13-foot train. Her Chantilly lace veil was even longer at nearly 20 feet! (Photo via Andreas Rentz/Getty)
Mette-Marit, Crown Princess of Norway: The blonde beauty and Norwegian Crown Prince Haakkon were joined in matrimony on August 25, 2001. Her iconic look was the masterpiece of Norwegian designer Ove Harder Finseth, who took inspiration from Queen Maud of Norway's historical style. The square-neck, long-sleeved gown was modernized with a fitted bodice and constructed out of ecru silk crepe and tulle. It had a simple 6.5-foot train. The bride's uncommon dangling bouquet was stunning as well. (Photo via Anthony Harvey/Getty)
Which one is your fave? Tweet us @BritandCo!
Which one is your fave? Tweet us @BritandCo!
(Featured photos via Tim Graham/Getty and Luca Teuchmann/WireImage)
Kimberly Wang
Kimberly Wang writes about all things pop culture, tech, style, and beauty. She's a Bay Area transplant and has an MFA in Creative Writing from Columbia University. On a sunny New York day, you can find her hanging out with her mini schnauzer Isabelle Jellybean on a blanket in Central Park.