A Dress Fit For a Princess

On the day of the Royal Wedding, thousands of loyal subjects waited hours to catch a glimpse of the blushing bride and her prince. Thousands more cracked open the champers to watch it on the big screen in Hyde Park. And the rest of London enjoyed parties and events to mark the special occasion in style.

It may have been the early morning tipple, but Brits displayed an uncharacteristic sense of optimism that day. Many wore wedding outfits and waved flags without the slightest sense of irony. There was no doubt that this was a day to make Londoners proud, but the mood was bordering on hysteria.

For months in the lead-up to the big day, it was the conversation topic at every dinner table, the excuse to buy bunting and picnic wear, and the pressure to make party plans.

Speculation mounted about guest lists, outfits, and even the choice of hymns. Security was going to be as tight as a duck’s arse, TFL was going to enhance routes to all off-licences, and Boris was going to brush his hair. This was going to be the wedding to end all weddings.

By the time the service finally came around, the world was shaking with excitement. Twitter went into overdrive, journalists wore fascinators and bloggers fired updates every 2.2 seconds. Consequently, there were many stars of the show. Princess Beatrice’s pretzel hat, Pippa’s bum and the indoor trees all sent onlookers wild – there was hardly an outfit, object or guest who escaped the gossip.

But among all this, there was one thing that was the ultimate talking point: the dress. The cloak-and-dagger tactics only made the world hungrier to see this fancy frock, shrouded in secrecy and stitched in the dead of night. Who would design it? How traditional would she go? How long would the train be?

When Kate finally emerged in the ivory gown with lace appliqué designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, she didn’t disappoint. To be fair to her, she was a total knockout. With that hair, that waist, that smile, she was a Disney Duchess – every little girl’s dream.

See it for yourself: there’s about a couple of weeks left to visit the Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding dress in Buckingham Palace before it tours the country as part of a special exhibition.

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