For her 2011 wedding to Prince William, Catherine “Kate” Middleton wore a custom-designed gown by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, and it quickly became one of the most iconic royal wedding dresses of all time.
The ivory ballgown featured a Victorian-inspired lace bodice, a subtle V-neckline, and long sheer lace sleeves that instantly drew comparisons to Monaco’s Princess Grace Kelly’s legendary 1956 wedding look.
The gown combined English Cluny lace and French Chantilly lace, all of which was hand-cut and hand-appliquéd into symbolic floral motifs – Rose for England, Thistle for Scotland, Daffodil for Wales, and Shamrock for Ireland.
The lacework was created using the historic Irish Carrickmacross technique, which Kate reportedly embraced as her “something old.”
Meanwhile, a small blue ribbon was sewn into the interior of the dress as her “something blue,” adding a sentimental personal touch to the piece.
The skirt was padded at the hips to resemble an opening flower, and the gown included a nearly 9-foot-long train that flowed dramatically behind her.
The back was finished with 58 delicate buttons, made from gazar and organza and secured with Rouleau loops.
Embroiderers working on the gown reportedly had to wash their hands every 30 minutes, and their needles were replaced every three hours to keep the garment immaculate.
In fact, to prevent leaks, some lace makers were allegedly told they were working on a period drama costume, while McQueen seamstresses were told it was for a film.
Even designer Sarah was bound by such strict agreements that she didn’t even tell her own parents she was the designer until the eve of the wedding.
To complete the look, Queen Elizabeth II loaned Kate the iconic Cartier Halo Tiara, a dazzling piece featuring 739 brilliant-cut diamonds and 139 baguette diamonds, originally purchased by King George VI and gifted to the late Queen on her 18th birthday.
Moreover, the gown was so culturally impactful that it later went on display at Buckingham Palace and drew a record-breaking 600,000 visitors in the summer of 2011 alone.
“One of my all time favorite wedding gowns! Suits her perfectly!” gushed one netizen.
A second user added, “Absolutely gorgeous, my favorite royal wedding dress… [It] was going for ‘timeless’ and succeeded.”
“To me, Kate’s dress is what 12 year old me envisioned a princess bride to look like… very much Barbie doll,” wrote a third.
“10/10 for the wedding gown. It fit her new role as a royal, it was reminiscent of Grace Kelly.”
While the majority loved the dress, there were some critics who were not pleased with the “bodice part” noting it “just looks a bit off.”
“It isn’t my most favorite the bodice area isn’t perfect for my taste,” wrote one user, while another added, “I wish the neck didn’t have that piece of lace that wraps high around her neck and to the back. It’s my only quibble with it.”
“I really did not love her wedding dress personally but I thought it fit the occasion.”
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