JUNE 2018 | The Australian Women’s Weekly 55
Queen Victoria began a grand tradition
when she cast off political gold and silver
in favour of white for her wedding to signal
a union based on love, and generations of
royal brides have followed in her footsteps.Crown Princess
Mary, 2004
Mary Donaldson’s refined,
scoop-necked gown was made
from the finest duchess satin,
heirloom lace panels and a
six-metre train trimmed with
Chantilly lace. Created by Danish
designer Uffe Frank, the dress
reportedly took 350 hours of work
and incorporated 100-year-old
Irish lace worn by Crown Prince
Frederik’s great grandmother,
Princess Margaret of Sweden,
on her wedding day in 1905.
Mary’s veil was also Irish lace and
worn with a glittering tiara that
had been bestowed by Queen
Margrethe II. Her earrings were
a teardrop halo, set around
luminous South Sea Island pearls.Princess Grace of
Monaco, 1956
When Hollywood star Grace
Kelly married Prince Rainier III of
Monaco, her dress was exquisite.
The elegant, high-necked bodice
was made from an intricate rose
point silk lace and accentuated
with hundreds of tiny seed pearls.
The skirt was an elaborate silk
faille and was married to the
bodice by a pleated silk faille
cummerbund. Academy Award-
winning costume designer Helen
Rose made the dress for Grace,
working tirelessly with a team
of 30 seamstresses for weeks.
Instead of a tiara, Grace wore
a Juliet cap adorned with pearls
and paper orange blossoms
to hold her veil in place. →wore...
Left: Crown Princess
Mary. Right: Grace
Kelly’s veil was
designed to allow
well-wishers to
see her face.GETTY IMAGES.
A ROYAL special