Kate Middleton Reportedly Cried After Her Wedding Gown Designer Was Leaked & My Heart Hurts
Although it’s been a few years since Kate Middleton and Prince William’s historic marriage in 2011, the couple’s royal wedding is still making headlines – even after Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s. While Middleton’s wedding day looked as perfect and fairy-tale-like as possible, there was apparently some behind-the-scenes drama about her gown a bit before the ceremony. Middleton reportedly cried after her wedding dress designer was leaked, despite her trying to keep the news a secret.
As this was the first royal wedding in 30 years at the time, every detail of the proceedings was big news, and of course, everyone was impatient to know what the dress was going to look like. More than a month before the big day, The Sunday Times revealed that Middleton’s dress was designed by Sarah Burton, the Creative Director of Alexander McQueen. As part of the Secrets of the Royal Dressmakers documentary, royal correspondent Katie Nicholl claimed that the Duchess cried following the news. “Behind the scenes, I think that caused tears at the Palace because Kate had done everything she could to keep the wedding dress a secret,” she said.
Middleton chose McQueen for the “beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing,” St. James Palace said in a press release following the wedding. Middleton apparently wanted to combine traditional styles with a modern aesthetic, which led her to seek advice from the former Vogue Editor-in-Chief Alexander Shulman. “I thought that the level of extraordinary craftsmanship and their tradition of working with symbolism would be up to the task, that Sarah and Catherine would get on as women, and that it would be terrific to have a relatively untraditional fashion house given this privilege,” Shulman said to Marie Claire.
The overall result was absolutely stunning, and Middleton looked happy despite the drama. The gown’s sleeves featured handmade lace with roses, daffodils, thistles, and shamrocks, the national emblems of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, respectively. Her train was nearly 9 feet long (short compared to Princess Diana’s 25-foot train). Burton also designed the second wedding dress, which Middleton wore to the reception, as well as Pippa Middleton’s maid of honor dress.
Luckily, the Duchess’ chosen designer getting leaked didn’t stop the nuptials from being joyful and beautiful. The dress is now displayed in Buckingham Palace, and Alexander McQueen has become a frequent brand in Middleton’s rotation – including to Markle and Prince Harry’s royal wedding. Although it’s going to be a long time until the next royal wedding, at least this one keeps giving royal fans new information.
