Ever since the announcement of their engagement back in November of last year, one major question has loomed in the minds of basically every royal family fan ever: what will Meghan’s dress for the big day look like? And of course, the answer is finally here.
As you may know by now (if you rolled out of bed in the wee hours of this morning to watch, that is), Meghan opted for a simple, gorgeous Givenchy gown. In comparison to the dresses of Duchess Kate Middleton or Princess Diana before her, Meghan’s dress offered a more refined, streamlined look with an open, almost off-the-shoulder neckline.
Details of Meghan Markle’s wedding dress had been a closely-guarded secret for months. The big reveal was of a modern, feminine, minimal gown – with a 16.5-foot silk tulle veil #royalwedding https://t.co/3OrEIV68qu pic.twitter.com/nGhRqL6qT9
— CNN International (@cnni) May 19, 2018
Meghan Markle is beautiful. Her wedding dress is simple and elegant. So classy. #RoyalWedding pic.twitter.com/fkv7KPDjmH
— Em Sheldon (@emshelx) May 19, 2018
As People notes, while Givenchy is a French fashion house, British designer Claire Waight Keller (formerly of another French designer, Chloe), is the mastermind behind the dress and Givenchy’s first-ever female designer. Keller was reportedly even present at the ceremony to help Meghan get out of the car — which was probably much-needed. I mean, just look at the length of that train.
Meghan Markle, the dress (by Claire Waite-Keller former head of Givenchy) and the Mulroeny twins. #RoyalWedding pic.twitter.com/WPZuf3Iy9d
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) May 19, 2018
For the veil, the house went in a slightly more intricate direction with 16 feet of tulle (!!!) detailed with different flowers from each of the 53 countries in the British Commonwealth, along with the super special symbolic addition of the California poppy to represent Meghan’s home state. Apparently, designers working on the dress spent *hundreds* of hours sewing the details into the veil, washing their hands every thirty minutes to make sure it stayed in pristine condition.
While Kensington Palace hasn’t released any details on the cost of Meghan’s dress, E! News’s royals expert Melanie Bromley told Harper’s Bazaar that it’s likely to have cost upwards of six figures — though likely no more than Kate Middleton’s $400,000 Alexander McQueen wedding dress, since she wouldn’t want to overshadow her sister-in-law.