Royal Wedding Dresses: 8 Gowns and What to Borrow

Royal wedding dresses rarely follow one rule. Some royal brides chose couture, while others borrowed, remodelled or rationed.

The newest example arrived in June 2026. Lady Marina Windsor married Nico Macauley in North Yorkshire in a custom gown from a London atelier.

She wore it with an antique lace veil and a tiara her family has worn at weddings since 1961.

We compared her dress with seven other British royal wedding dresses from 1947 onwards. Each one has at least one idea that a UK bride can borrow.

The eight royal wedding dresses at a glance

Bride	Year	Ceremony	Designer	Headpiece	Standout detail
Princess Elizabeth	1947	Westminster Abbey	Norman Hartnell	Diamond fringe tiara	10,000 seed pearls; material bought with ration coupons
Lady Diana Spencer	1981	St Paul’s Cathedral	David and Elizabeth Emanuel	Spencer family tiara	25-foot train
Catherine Middleton	2011	Westminster Abbey	Sarah Burton, Alexander McQueen	Cartier Halo tiara, lent by the Queen	Lace appliquéd by the Royal School of Needlework
Meghan Markle	2018	St George’s Chapel, Windsor	Clare Waight Keller, Givenchy	Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau, lent by the Queen	5-metre embroidered veil
Princess Eugenie	2018	St George’s Chapel, Windsor	Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos	Greville Emerald Kokoshnik, lent by the Queen	Open back showing her scoliosis scar
Princess Beatrice	2020	Royal Chapel of All Saints, Windsor	Norman Hartnell, altered	Queen Mary Fringe tiara	A vintage dress belonging to the Queen
Harriet Sperling	2026	All Saints’ Church, Kemble	Emilia Wickstead	Not officially confirmed	Lace gown for a village church
Lady Marina Windsor	2026	All Saints’ Church, Hovingham	Larissa von Planta	Family diamond bandeau tiara	Sustainable gown and Habsburg lace veil

Lady Marina Windsor, 2026: the sustainable atelier gown

Lady Marina is a great-granddaughter of Princess Marina and a granddaughter of the Duke of Kent. Her wedding was the second royal wedding of 2026.

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The couple married legally at Ampleforth Abbey first, in a private Catholic service. Three days later came the larger church wedding at All Saints’ Church in Hovingham.

HELLO! reported 279 guests. The reception was held at Hovingham Hall, an 18th-century Palladian house.

Her custom gown came from Larissa von Planta, a London designer known for sustainable bridalwear. She added an antique Habsburg lace veil.

The tiara has the strongest family story. HELLO! reports it was a wedding gift to Katharine, Duchess of Kent, who wore it in 1961.

Her daughter, Lady Helen Taylor, wore it again in 1992. Lady Marina is Lady Helen’s niece.

What to borrow: a family piece gives a modern dress instant history. A grandmother’s veil or earrings can do the same job as a tiara.

Our Yorkshire wedding venues guide covers country houses and estates near Hovingham.

Harriet Sperling, 2026: the lace gown for a Cotswolds church

Harriet Sperling married Peter Phillips on 6 June 2026. The ceremony took place at All Saints’ Church in Kemble, Gloucestershire.

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Emilia Wickstead designed her lace gown.

Our Peter Phillips wedding page covers what was officially confirmed about the day.

What to borrow: a lace gown suits a small village church. Measure your own aisle before choosing how long a train to wear.

Princess Beatrice, 2020: the remodelled vintage dress

Princess Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi on 17 July 2020. Only 20 guests attended because of pandemic restrictions.

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She wore a vintage Norman Hartnell dress that belonged to Queen Elizabeth II. It was ivory taffeta, trimmed with duchess satin and diamanté.

Angela Kelly and Stewart Parvin altered it to fit her. Her tiara was the Queen Mary Fringe tiara, which the Queen wore at her own wedding in 1947.

She also rewore Valentino shoes from a 2011 royal wedding.

What to borrow: remodelling a family dress is the most royal idea on this list. It is also one of the most affordable.

Take the dress to a specialist before you commit. Old fabric can be weaker than it looks.

Our vintage wedding dress guide explains how to check condition, sizing and cleaning.

A vintage-style taffeta gown at a small garden ceremony. Styled shoot with a model, not Princess Beatrice or her dress.

Princess Eugenie, 2018: the open back with a purpose

Princess Eugenie married Jack Brooksbank on 12 October 2018 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

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Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos designed her long-sleeved ivory dress. Its open back showed the scar from her scoliosis surgery.

She said she wanted the scar to be visible. That turned a design detail into a personal message.

The Queen lent her the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik tiara. For the evening, she changed into a Zac Posen dress.

A long-sleeved gown with an open back. Styled shoot with a model, not Princess Eugenie or her dress.

What to borrow: design the dress around something that matters to you. Tell your designer the story, not just the shape.

Meghan Markle, 2018: the simple dress with a detailed veil

Meghan Markle married Prince Harry on 19 May 2018 at St George’s Chapel, Windsor.

Clare Waight Keller designed the Givenchy dress. It had a boat neckline, three-quarter sleeves and almost no decoration.

The detail went into the veil instead. It was five metres long and embroidered with flowers from all 53 Commonwealth countries.

The embroiderers spent 500 hours on it. Her tiara was Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau, made in 1932.

She changed into a Stella McCartney halter-neck dress for the evening reception.

What to borrow: a plain dress can carry a very personal veil. Embroidery of places or flowers that matter to you works at any budget.

Our guide to caped veils and detachable layers shows other ways to add a removable statement piece.

A plain boat-neck dress with an embroidered veil. Styled shoot with a model, not Meghan Markle or her Givenchy design.

Catherine Middleton, 2011: British lace and long sleeves

Catherine Middleton married Prince William on 29 April 2011 at Westminster Abbey.

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Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen designed the dress. Its train measured 270 centimetres.

Workers from the Royal School of Needlework cut out lace motifs and appliquéd them onto silk tulle. One of the lacemakers was the Cluny Lace Company in Ilkeston, Derbyshire.

The Queen lent her the Cartier Halo tiara, made in 1936. Burton also designed a strapless evening dress with a circle skirt.

Long lace sleeves with a full satin skirt. Styled shoot with a model, not Catherine or her Alexander McQueen dress.

What to borrow: long lace sleeves suit a formal church and photograph well. They also solve the question of covered shoulders.

Check your church’s expectations early. Our church wedding requirements guide covers the practical rules.

Lady Diana Spencer, 1981: the 25-foot train

Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles on 29 July 1981 at St Paul’s Cathedral.

David and Elizabeth Emanuel designed the dress in ivory silk taffeta and antique lace. It carried 10,000 pearls, plus sequins and hand embroidery.

The train was 25 feet long, the longest in royal wedding history. The veil used 153 yards of tulle.

She wore the Spencer family tiara rather than a borrowed royal piece. The dress reportedly cost £9,000 at the time.

What to borrow: match the train to the room. A cathedral aisle can carry 25 feet, but most UK venues cannot.

A detachable train gives you the ceremony entrance without the reception problem.

Princess Elizabeth, 1947: the ration-coupon dress

Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip on 20 November 1947 at Westminster Abbey.

Clothing was still rationed after the war. The government gave her 200 extra coupons for the material.

Members of the public sent hundreds more. She had to return them because giving coupons away was illegal.

Norman Hartnell based the design on Botticelli’s painting Primavera. The dress carried 10,000 seed pearls and a 13-foot train.

What to borrow: a clear limit can sharpen a design. Set your budget first, then let the dressmaker work within it.

How to get a royal wedding dress look on a UK budget

The royal dresses above were made by couture houses or court dressmakers. Most brides will not spend that much.

Our wedding dress cost guide puts the typical UK dress at £1,000 to £2,000. Alterations usually add £150 to £500.

You can still borrow the ideas that made these dresses memorable.

Royal idea	Bride	Budget-friendly version
Borrowed family tiara	Seven of the eight brides	A family veil, brooch or earrings
Remodelled vintage dress	Beatrice	A relative’s dress altered by a specialist
Personal veil embroidery	Meghan	A few embroidered flowers or initials on a plain veil
Second evening dress	Catherine, Meghan, Eugenie	A slip dress or separates for dancing
Sustainable atelier	Marina	A made-to-measure British dressmaker
Long lace sleeves	Catherine	Detachable lace sleeves or a bolero

Borrowing a tiara or heirloom

Seven of these eight brides wore a tiara from their own or their new family. It is the easiest royal idea to copy.

Ask a jeweller to check settings and clasps before the wedding. Add borrowed pieces to your wedding insurance.

Trial the fixing with your hairdresser. A heavy tiara needs a secure base, especially with a long veil.

Remodelling an older dress

Take the dress to a specialist at least six months ahead. Ask what can be changed without damaging the fabric.

Old silk can split along seams. Get cleaning advice before any cutting starts.

Planning a second outfit

Three royal brides changed for the evening. Allow 20 to 30 minutes for the change, plus a private room near the reception.

A halter-neck evening dress for the reception. Styled shoot with a model.

What we do not know

Most royal wedding dress costs have never been published. We have not estimated them.

Harriet Sperling’s fabric, train and tiara have not been officially described, so we have left them out.

Lady Marina Windsor’s dress details come from HELLO!‘s exclusive coverage. The full cut and fabric of the gown were not described.