All the world’s eyes will be on the wedding dress of Meghan Markle when she marries Prince Harry on May 19 at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, in England.
Much speculation has surrounded the impending royal wedding dress ever since the couple announced their engagement – who is designing it? What will it look like? But until the wedding day rolls around, any information about the dress will be kept as one of the world’s most heavily guarded secrets.
READ MORE: Meghan Markle wedding dress predictions: Will she push the royal style boundaries?
Until then, however, we can always celebrate the modern royal wedding dresses that once were – not just from royal weddings in England, but from elsewhere around the world.
Global News has compiled a list of some of the most royally ravishing wedding gowns some of the world’s royalty have worn to said “I do” in recent years in anticipation of Markle’s upcoming nuptials and to get all you royal wedding watchers excited for the big day.
1. Prince Felix of Luxembourg and Princess Claire Lademacher
Princess Claire Of Luxembourg donned a gown designed by Elie Saab when she wed Prince Felix in 2013, InStyle reported. The long-sleeved dress with a boat-neck neckline was made of intricate Chantilly lace flowers and came complete with a 10-foot-long train.
2. Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O’Neil
This Valentino gown Princess Madeleine wore was made from silk organdies and ivory Chantilly lace, according to The Telegraph. It also came topped with a six-metre-long veil.
3. Princess Charlene of Monaco and Prince Albert of Monaco
Princess Charlene wore a simple white Armani gown with clean lines, according to The Independent. The dress sat off the shoulder and included some fine embroidery on the skirt.
4. Catherine Middleton and Prince William of England
Perhaps one of the better known gowns on the list is that of Catherine Middleton for her 2011 wedding to Prince William. It was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and featured lace applique floral details and was made of ivory and white satin gazar, CBS says. It also had a nine-foot-trail.
5. Wedding Of Prince Johan Friso and Mabel Wisse Smit
In 2004, Prince Johan Friso of Orange-Nassau married Mabel Wisse Smit in this Victor & Rolf silk gown, Vogue Netherland reports. The dress and train was strategically sprinkled in bows of several sizes and finished off with a silk belt around the waist.
6. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Crown Princess Mary Donaldson of Australia
Danish designer Uffe Frank designed the dress Mary Donaldson wore on her wedding day in 2004. The dress was an ivory satin gown with a scoop neck and three-quarter length sleeves, Vogue details.
7. Princess Martha Louise of Norway and Ari Behn
Princess Martha Louise waves to the crowd while wearing this two-piece gothic-inspired light beige silk dress with a modest V-neckline by Norwegian designer Wenche Lyche. The top layer of the dress – the coat – was also embellished with Swarovski crystals, BridalPulse says.
8. Crown Prince Willem Alexander of Holland and Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti
Another Valentino dress to hit the list, this time worn by now Queen Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti in 2002. The gown was made of Mikado silk, embroidered with lace and had a five-metre-long train, according to The Telegraph.
9. Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark and Miss Tatiana Blatnik
This strapless lace number worn by Tatiana Blatnik in 2010 was designed by Venezuelan designer Angel Sanchez, The Independent says.
10. Prince Guillaume of Luxembourg and Stephanie de Lannoy
Another Elie Saab gown to grace the list is that of Stephanie de Lannoy of Luxembourg. The ivory lace gown with three-quarter sleeves was completed with a 13-foot train and veil made of tulle, InStyle details.
11. Prince Edward and Sophie Rhys-Jones
Lastly, you have the dress of Sophie Rhys-Jones worn to her wedding to Prince Edward in 1999. The countess wore a Samantha Shaw silk organza gown with a silk crepe design. The dress was also dotted with 325,000 pearls and crystal beads, The Telegraph reveals.
Check out this interactive family tree to learn more about the royal family: