Royal weddings: the 10 most stunning wedding dresses

The majesty of royal weddings isn't just in the protocol, it's also in the breathtaking dress the bride wears to walk down the aisle. These ornate emblems of eternal love are a reflection of the style of the time and of the bride’s personality, and they are such special symbols that they’ve even taken up space in museums as true works of art. Many have even been replicated in low-cost versions, like Kate Middleton’s dress. Here are ten of the most beautiful dresses that royals from around the world have worn in the last 60 years.

Princess Grace of Monaco

A link between Hollywood and royal Europe - the dress worn by American actress Grace Kelly on April 19, 1956, when she married Prince Rainier of Monaco, was designed by the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer seamstress, Helen Rose, who won an Oscar for Best Costume Design. The dress was made with silk taffeta, silk tulle, 125-year-old lace, and hand-sewn pearls.

Princess Diana of Wales

This frilly dress embroidered with almost ten thousand pearls, and featuring a long taffeta train is undoubtedly one of the most iconic of all time. Princess Diana wore this royal confection when she married Prince Charles in 1981. The dress was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, who drew their inspiration from the Victorian age.

Queen Rania of Jordan

June 10, 1993, Rania Yassin married Prince Abdullah at the Royal Palace in Amman in a dress designed by Bruce Oldfield, one of Princess Diana’s favorite designers. One of its main attractions was the floral embroidery with gold thread and a top piece with accented lapels and short sleeves.

Queen Letizia 

Letizia Ortiz married the then Prince Felipe VI of Spain in Madrid's cathedral of Almudena on May 22, 2004. For the momentous occasion, she wore a Manuel Pertegaz design in a princess cut, a petal-shaped collar and train that was 16 feet long, embroidered with heraldic embellishments. Her look was completed with a wedding veil made of natural silk tulle.

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Duchess Kate Middleton

The ivory-colored wedding dress that Kate Middleton wore on April 29, 2011 was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen with a French lace bodice fitted at the waist, a V-shaped neckline and a back with a gauze finish.

Princess Stephanie of Luxembourg

Stephanie of Lannoy got married to Prince Guillaume, Hereditary Grand Duke of Luxembourg on October 20, 2012. Her ivory-colored and rhinestone-encrusted dress, created by the Lebanese designer, Elie Saab, had three-quarter sleeves and was complemented by a 16-foot long silk tulle veil.

Princess Madeleine of Sweden

Princess Madeleine of Sweden’s dress for her wedding to Christopher O’Neill on June 8, 2013 in the Chapel at The Royal Palace of Stockholm, was designed by the Italian Valentino. It was made of silk organza pleated with Chantilly lace which was emphasized on the boat neckline.

Princess Claire of Luxembourg

Prince Felix and Princess Claire Lademacher got married on September 21, 2013 in France. For her big day, she wore an Elie Saab dress - which bears an incredible resemblance to Stephanie’s, from the same designer - in which the lace fabric stands out in a very feminine silhouette.

Princess Sofia of Sweden

In June 2015, Sofia Hellviqst walked to the altar to say "I do" to Carl Philip of Sweden in a dress designed by the Swedish firm Ida Sjöstedt. It had lacy long sleeves and a pronounced neckline that revealed a beautiful detail: a sweetheart silhouette under a layer of lace. The dress continued into a gorgeous train also embellished in edges of lace.

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Duchess Meghan Markle

The wedding dress Meghan Markle wore to marry Prince Harry in the Chapel at St. George may have been minimalist, but it was grand in elegance. Her dress was characterized by a boat neckline - one of the Duchess’ favorites - and designed by the current creative director of Givenchy, Clare Waight Keller. Her transparent veil was complemented by organza embroidery.