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Royal Wedding Dresses: The 10 Most Iconic Gowns Ever

Did you know that Queen Elizabeth bought her dress with coupons?
Diana, Princess of Wales, in her wedding dress.
PA Images via Getty Images
Diana, Princess of Wales, in her wedding dress.

With the royal wedding mere hours away, speculation on who designed Meghan Markle's wedding dress has reached fever pitch.

Ralph & Russo and Roland Mouret have both been popular picks, however Markle's mother, Doria Ragland, gave us a hint as to who the designer might be when she was seen carrying a Burberry garment bag when leaving her L.A home en route to London this week.

While we won't find out who designed Markle's wedding gown until tomorrow morning, here are some past royal wedding dresses that she could have pulled inspiration from for her own big day.

1. Diana, Princess of Wales

The Prince and Princess of Wales leave St Paul's Cathedral after their wedding, July 29, 1981.
Princess Diana Archive via Getty Images
The Prince and Princess of Wales leave St Paul's Cathedral after their wedding, July 29, 1981.

Diana, Princess of Wales wowed crowds as she glided up the aisle of St Paul's Cathedral in the very definition of a princess gown.

David and Elizabeth Emanuel designed a dress of ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown with sequins, embroidery and 10,000 tiny pearls valued then at £9,000 (about $15,600) at the time of the wedding in July, 1981.

The 25-foot train looked beautiful as it floated behind her but caused issues in the carriage when it wasn't taken into consideration how Diana, her father and the dress would all fit inside. The train was wrinkled upon arrival but Diana brushed it off, telling her bridesmaids to do the best they could to get the wrinkles out.

2. Duchess of Cambridge

Kate Middleton and her sister Pippa on Kate and Prince William's wedding day in 2011.
Samir Hussein via Getty Images
Kate Middleton and her sister Pippa on Kate and Prince William's wedding day in 2011.

Kate Middleton's wedding dress was kept a secret until the day of the nuptials. Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen created an elegant lace applique bodice gown for the Duchess of Cambridge with a full skirt and train slightly under three metres with 58 buttons up the back.

Keeping the dress a secret was an extensive process. One dressmaker, Mandy Ewing, told Hello magazine: "We knew who it was for, but it was very secret — we had net curtains up and cleaners were not allowed into the room and the code on the door was changed.

"The dress was all in the news, but nobody knew who was doing it. When you're working you just focus on it and try not think about what's in the news. But it was an exciting event and everybody loved working on it — it was a once in a lifetime opportunity."

3. Sarah, Duchess of York

The Duke and Duchess of York on their wedding day.
Bettmann via Getty Images
The Duke and Duchess of York on their wedding day.

Dubbed "the most flattering gown ever" by the bride herself, Sarah, Duchess of York's ivory satin wedding dress was designed by Lindka Cierach and featured three-quarter sleeves and a 17-foot train.

Sarah wore flowers in her hair to hold her veil in place until she signed the register, and only then did she switch to a tiara which was gifted to her by Queen Elizabeth and the Duke of Edinburgh.

The most personal feature was the embellishments on the bodice and train including waves and anchors in a nod to Prince Andrew's naval career.

4. Princess Margaret

Princess Margaret and her new husband Antony Armstrong-Jones leave Westminister Abbey after their wedding.
Bettmann via Getty Images
Princess Margaret and her new husband Antony Armstrong-Jones leave Westminister Abbey after their wedding.

Princess Margaret's classic wedding gown was designed for one specific reason: to showcase her tiara. The dress, designed by Norman Hartnell, featured a fitted bodice with long sleeves made out of white silk organza and a skirt that used up 30 metres of fabric alone; the clean lines laid the perfect backdrop for the Poltimore Tiara.

Despite Hartnell's past work for royal ladies, including the Queen's wedding and coronation dress, Princess Margaret's dress is one of his most iconic, with Vogue describing it at the time as a dress for a "new princess."

Margaret married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960.

5. Princess Anne (first wedding)

Princess Anne on her wedding day with her husband Mark Phillips.
Hulton Deutsch via Getty Images
Princess Anne on her wedding day with her husband Mark Phillips.

For her first wedding to Captain Mark Phillips in 1963, Anne worked with designer Maureen Baker to create a Tudor-style dress.

The finished product featured a high neck, a fitted bodice with pearls, and a slightly flared skirt with a seven-foot train. The dress also featured long bell sleeves with ruffled cuffs, all in white silk.

The collaboration between Anne and Maureen Baker was so successful that Maureen went on to design at least another 250 outfits for the princess throughout her life.

6. Princess Anne (second wedding)

Commander Tim Laurence and Princess Anne are seen in their car after their wedding at Crathie Church, Dec. 12, 1992. in Scotland.
AFP/Getty Images
Commander Tim Laurence and Princess Anne are seen in their car after their wedding at Crathie Church, Dec. 12, 1992. in Scotland.

When Princess Anne married for a second time, in 1992, she opted for a subtle, practical look.

Her wedding to Timothy Laurence came days after Prince Charles and Diana announced they were separating, which overshadowed Anne's down-to-earth affair at Crathie Kirk, a small church in Scotland.

Princess Anne once again picked a high-neckline, but rather than a gown, her wedding outfit came in the form of a cream, knee-length skirt, and matching jacket.

7. Queen Elizabeth

Queen Elizabeth II, as Princess Elizabeth, and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, styled Prince Philip in 1947, on their wedding day, 1952.
Getty Images
Queen Elizabeth II, as Princess Elizabeth, and her husband the Duke of Edinburgh, styled Prince Philip in 1947, on their wedding day, 1952.

Because England was still using rations following the Second World War, Princess Elizabeth, as she was known then, used clothing coupons to purchase the fabric for her dress for her 1947 marriage to Prince Philip.

The duchess silk satin that was used was embroidered with seed pearls and tiny crystal beads and included a 13-foot train covered in stars inspired by Botticelli's Primavera. The gown was designed by Norman Hartnell, who later designed Queen Elizabeth's sister, Princess Margaret's dress.

8. Crown Princess Victoria

Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her husband Prince Daniel during their wedding ceremony on June 19, 2010.
Torsten Laursen via Getty Images
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her husband Prince Daniel during their wedding ceremony on June 19, 2010.

As future Queen of Sweden, Crown Princess Victoria looked every bit the part in her cream duchess silk satin wedding dress.

The dress featured short sleeves and a rounded collar that dipped into a V in the back. A removable 16-foot train with an embroidered border was added for the ceremony but came off for dancing later.

However, the most exquisite detail was the traditional lace veil passed down by generations, which was held on by the Cameo Tiara.

9. Princess Madeleine

Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O'Neill greet the public after their wedding ceremony.
WireImage
Princess Madeleine of Sweden and Christopher O'Neill greet the public after their wedding ceremony.

If there was ever a designer that knew how to dress women it was Valentino. So it was no surprise that he knocked it out of the park when he designed Princess Madeleine's wedding gown for her wedding to financier Christopher O'Neill in 2013.

The Chantilly lace gown featured silk organdies and a four-metre train. A six-metre veil with Chantilly lace flowers completed the outfit.

10. Marie-Chantal Miller

Crown Prince Pavlos kisses Marie-Chantal Miller after their wedding at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in London July 1, 1995.
Simon Kreitem / Reuters
Crown Prince Pavlos kisses Marie-Chantal Miller after their wedding at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral in London July 1, 1995.

Marie-Chantal Miller married Pavlos, Prince of Greece in 1995, thus becoming Crown Princess of Greece.

Once again, Valentino stepped up and created a dress that reportedly cost $225,000. The ivory tulip-shaped dress was covered in pearls and had a 4.5-metre Chantilly lace train. Even with 25 people working on the dress, it took four months and 12 different types of lace to make.

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