MILLIONS of people around the world tuned in on April 29 2011 to watch the wedding of Kate Middleton and Prince William.
The royal couple tied the knot at Westminster Abbey, before travelling to Buckingham Palace for the much celebrated kiss on the balcony. Here’s the info on Kate’s stunning wedding dress including how much it cost.
Who designed Kate Middleton’s wedding dress?
British designer Sarah Burton designed Kate’s iconic dress.
She is the creative director for the label and luxury fashion house of Alexander McQueen.
The dressmaker and designs were kept secret until the day of the wedding, and only when the Duchess stepped out of the car was the designer revealed.
A number of names were in the running, but Sarah Burton emerged as a frontrunner early-on, causing bookmakers William Hill to suspend bets two weeks before the wedding.
Kate’s bridal shoes were also designed by Sarah Burton for McQueen and were made of ivory duchesse satin with lace hand-embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework.
The Daily Mail later reported Sarah explaining the effort that went into designing the dress, saying: “We wanted to look to the past, yet look to the future as well.
“There were a lot of references to Victorian corsetry, the padded hip, the tiny cinched-in waist, and also to the arts and crafts movement with all of the hand-work on the lace of the dress and also the bustle inside to create the shape of the back of the dress.
“I think what we wanted to achieve was something that was incredibly beautiful and intricately worked.
“A lot of it is in the subtlety of the detail, the handcrafted lace, and the cuts and the shapes and the folds involved in the construction of the dress, yet we still had to remember it was in Westminster Abbey so it still had to have a presence.
“It was this idea of having a dress with a presence and of historical importance yet being modern at the same time.”
Since the wedding countless replicas of the dress have been produced.
How much did it cost?
The dress consisted of an ivory satin bodice with lace applique, incorporating a floral pattern, and long lace sleeves.
The back of the dress had 58 button of gazar, and in total the skirt, underskirt and bridal train measured a staggering 8ft8ins long.
Workers from The Royal School of Needlework worked on the dress and it was reported they were initially told it was for a TV costume drama.
The dress is estimated to have cost £250,000, making it one of the most expensive dresses ever made.
Where is it now?
Following the ceremony, Kate slipped into a second wedding dress for the after party, which was easier to move around in.
The original dress which she exchanged the vows in – and became known around the world – went on display at Buckingham Palace from July until October 2011.
There was record demand to see the dress, on display as part of the Palace’s annual summer exhibition.
Tickets cost £17.50 each, and the display is thought to broken attendance records with more than 600,000 people going to see it.
The Queen was one of the many attendees to view the dress in situ, at a sneak preview before it was opened to the public, but she was apparently less than impressed.
Lit by 12 spotlight in the Palace’s ballroom, the Queen is thought to have branded the display “horrible” and “horrid”.
Kate countered with her own opinion, saying it had a “3D effect”.
Following the hugely successful exhibition it thought the dress was put into storage.
The Telegraph quoted a royal aide saying: “Upon curatorial advice the decision has been made with the Duchess’ consent that the dress will go into storage in the Royal Collection following the display at Buckingham Palace.
“The Duchess is very proud of the creation and its showcasing of British craftsmanship and she is keen to continue to show off the dress, so it will be on display again in the future at an appropriate time.
“But it is delicate and in order to lengthen its life span, the dress cannot be trailed around the world like any art object.”
