WHEN Kate Middleton and Prince William married in front of the world in April 2011, every detail of their wedding was meticulously planned.
But the Duchess of Cambridge, 39, was left devastated in the run up to the big day – after details about her wedding dress were leaked.
Kate’s stunning ivory gown, with lace sleeves, was designed by Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton – whose name got out ahead of the wedding.
Speaking on Channel 5 documentary Secrets of the Royal Dressmakers, expert Katie Nicholl revealed it upset Kate more than most of us realised.
She said: “Behind the scenes I think that caused tears at the Palace because Kate had done everything she could to keep the wedding dress a secret.”
Almost two months before the big day, on March 6, the Sunday Times revealed Sarah had bagged the coveted commission.
The paper explained: “She was selected by Middleton, who is making increasing efforts to develop her own style, on grounds of her quirky elegance, discretion and low profile.
“A fashion source said that the dress will be a combination of Middleton’s own design ideas and Burton’s deep knowledge and understanding of high fashion.”
The article continued: “Middleton had hoped to keep Burton’s name quiet until the wedding.”
It’s thought Sarah came to Kate’s attention at the wedding of Camilla Parker Bowles’ son Tom, in 2005, where she had designed his wife Sara Buys’ gown.
When approached about the rumours, professional Sarah denied she was designing the dress, as did Alexander McQueen CEO Jonathon Akeroyd.
She wasn’t officially announced as the designer until the wedding day on April 29, where Sarah adjusted Kate’s gown before she walked down the aisle in Westminster Abbey.
Luckily, the leak didn’t appear to dampen Kate’s mood on the big day.
But experts still think Kate’s dress reveal was special, as no-one had actually seen it before the day.
Designer Caroline Castigliano said on the show: “Everybody loved Kate’s dress. That excitement when she stepped out, it was just ‘wow’.
“Incredible. She looked sensational. Even now it gives me butterflies.”
To represent the ‘something old’, Sarah used traditional Carrickmacross craftsmanship to make the dress, a technique dating back to the 1800s.
Individual lace roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks were attached by hand to the silk tulle.
Kate’s gown had a 2.7 metre train, 58 buttons made from gazar and organza – and was fastened with rouleau loops.
We previously reported on the gorgeous SECOND wedding dresses worn by Meghan Markle, Ellie Goulding and Billie Faiers.
