May 20,2018
Actress and now Duchess of Sussex Meghan Markle wore a boat-necked, sculpted
white dress for her Royal wedding to Prince Harry on Saturday, designed by Clare
Waight Keller for French fashion house Givenchy.
Markle looked beautiful in
the pure white silk Givenchy gown, which was 15 feet veil embroidered with
flowers and held in place by a diamond tiara lent by the Queen for her wedding.
Markle met Keller earlier this year and the pair worked closely together on a
design that Kensington Palace described 'epitomises a timeless minimal
elegance', according to the official site of the British Royal Family.
The
open bateau neckline frames Markle's shoulders and emphasises the slender
sculpted waist of the dress. The shape is achieved using just six seams, and the
dress flows towards a train at the back, cushioned by an underskirt of triple
silk organza. The sleeves are slim and three-quarter length.
It is made of a
pure white double bonded silk cady - a thick fabric - which has a soft matt
luster.
The veil was made of silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered
flowers in silk threads and organza. It was five meters long and had to be held
by two pageboys as Markle arrived.
It depicts the distinctive flora of each
country in the Commonwealth, the 53-nation grouping for which Price Harry is an
ambassador.
The embroidery took hundreds of hours to complete, with workers
washing their hands every 30 minutes to keep the tulle and the threads pristine.
Markle's veil was held in place by Queen Mary's diamond bandeau tiara, which was
loaned to her by Queen Elizabeth II.
Made in 1932, it comprises 11 sections,
with a detachable centre of ten diamonds that can be worn as a brooch.
Markle
also wore earrings and a bracelet by Cartier.
Prince Harry, sixth in line to
the British throne, and Markle sealed their wedding vows with a kiss outside
Windsor Castle's St. George's Chapel on Saturday, cheered on by thousands of
delighted crowds.
The couple - now the Duke and Duchess of Sussex - exchanged
rings in the presence of Queen Elizabeth II and 600 celebrity guests. The Dean
of Windsor, the Right Reverend David Conner, conducted the wedding service while
the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, officiated it.