As the excitement over the Royal Wedding dies down, and the happy couple squirreled away to an undisclosed location before William returns to work, it seems that the media’s universal seal of approval for the bridal gown is shared by the British public, which has voted Kate’s gown as preferable to that worn by Princess Diana for her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981.
- 66% said that from what they had seen, they preferred Kate’s dress to Diana’s
- 5% chose Diana’s as the best dress
- An ambivalent 9% thought neither
- While 19% said they didn’t know
National dress
The best kept secret of recent weeks, the now-Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress was designed by Sarah Burton of British label Alexander McQueen, with a full ivory skirt and a neat lace bodice covering Kate’s shoulders and arms, as well as a train measuring almost three metres. The lace, which was handmade by the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court Palace, featured a rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock as a nod to the four nations of the United Kingdom. Kate also wore a lace-edged veil with a tiara lent to her by the Queen.
‘Very simple, very classic’
In comparison, Diana’s dress was a much larger affair, with a train measuring almost eight metres, puffed sleeves, and a much fuller skirt. It was designed by the Emanuels, and was then seen as a break with traditional styles of the day. Designer Elizabeth Emanuel has praised Kate’s long-awaited outfit after the nuptials last Friday, calling it ‘very simple, very classic’, ‘regal’ and ‘very wearable’. It will be a ‘much copied look’, she predicted, perhaps referring to media speculation that the lace style will be favoured by many brides in future months.
A near-replica of Kate’s dress is already on show at Victoria Square, in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
