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Over two months after saying, “I do,” Princess Beatrice has reunited with her wedding dress. Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson ’s oldest daughter viewed her gown, which is being displayed at Windsor Castle’s State Dining Room, on Wednesday. The display opens to visitors on Sept. 24 and includes the Sir Norman Hartnell-designed dress that was loaned to the Princess by her grandmother Queen Elizabeth , in addition to her Valentino shoes and a replica of her bridal bouquet made from artificial flowers.
The newlywed wore a printed face mask, floral dress by The Vampire’s Wife and black suede Aquazzura stilettos as she toured the exhibit on Sept. 23. Curator Caroline de Guitaut, who hosted the visit, said (via HOLA! USA’s sister brand HELLO!): “It was a really lovely moment for her to be reunited with her dress and to be able to see it as part of the display in the state dining room.” Caroline added, “She seemed really, really happy and we talked about the history of the dress and its wearing by the Queen and the alternations that were made to turn it into a wedding dress.”
Beatrice is following in the footsteps of other royal brides. The Princess’ younger sister Princess Eugenie , as well as Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton all had their gowns displayed following their respective royal weddings. Eugenie and Meghan’s were displayed at Windsor Castle, while the Duchess of Cambridge’s gown was exhibited at Buckingham Palace.
Queen Elizabeth loaned the dress to her granddaughter for her and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi ’s nuptials on July 17. The original design by Sir Norman Hartnell was altered for Beatrice under the direction of the Queen’s personal advisor, Angela Kelly, and British fashion designer Stewart Parvin. According to the Royal Collection Trust, the full-skirted silhouette was softened to give the gown a more contemporary, simplified shape and short sleeves of triple organza were added to the straps and embroidered with vintage diamantés to match the original design. Her Majesty first wore the taffeta gown in 1961 for a state dinner at the British Embassy in Rome.
Over 50 years later, Beatrice wore the vintage number to marry Edo. The couple secretly tied the knot in July after canceling their original May wedding date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The private ceremony, which was attended by Her Majesty and Prince Philip, was held at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge in accordance with all relevant Government Guidelines. The 32-year-old bride not only paid tribute to her paternal grandmother with her dress, but also with the Queen Mary diamond fringe tiara that Queen Elizabeth wore for her own wedding in 1947.