When Princess Eugenie arrived at St. George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, on Friday morning for her royal wedding to her longtime boyfriend Jack Brooksbank, we were graced with the first glimpses of her wedding dress: a custom gown designed by Peter Pilotto.
Princess Eugenie first opened up about her wedding dress in an interview that appeared in British Vogue’s September issue. Joined by her sister (and maid of honor) Princess Beatrice, the bride told the magazine that she knew which designer she wanted to create her gown from the get-go.
“I’m not telling anyone who is making it, but I can say it is a British-based designer,” Princess Eugenie told British Vogue at the time. She continued that the dress “is the one thing that I was really decisive about. As soon as we announced the wedding, I knew the designer and the look straight away. I never thought I’d be the one who knew exactly what I like, but I’ve been pretty on top of it.”
It’s common for members of the British royal family (or those marrying into it) to wear dresses from U.K.-born designers. Kate Middleton, for one, wore a dress by Sarah Burton for the U.K. house of Alexander McQueen when she married Prince William in 2011; Meghan Markle, likewise, wore a dress by British-born Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy during her May nuptials.
Likewise, for her wedding, Princess Eugenie chose a dress designed by Peter Pilotto and Christopher de Vos for British-based label Peter Pilotto, which was founded in London in 2007. The royal family said in a statement that Princess Eugenie first met the designers when she was co-hosting an event that supported women artists several years ago. She’s since worn many of their designs, and she collaborated quite closely with the designers on the creation of her wedding dress.
The dress has a neckline that folds along the shoulders, and features a low back, which was a special request, as the princess had surgery to correct scoliosis when she was 12 years old and wanted to show the scar. It was constructed through several fittings, and features a corset, underskirt, fitted bodice and full-pleated skirt. As well as a jacquard weave of silk, cotton, and viscose blend. The weave work was completed in the Como region of Italy.
The wedding dress’s weave contains several symbols that are important to Princess Eugenie and Jack Brooksbank, including a thistle (representing the couple’s love of Scotland), a shamrock (which represents the princess’s mother’s Sarah Ferguson’s Irish roots), the York Rose and ivy (which represents their home). The princess wore the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, which was lent to her by her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. Her shoes are satin peep-toes by Charlotte Olympia.
The bride and groom said their vows on live television and in front of guests ranging from royal family (including Queen Elizabeth, Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton, Princess Beatrice, Prince William, Prince Harry, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Sarah Ferguson, and well, many, many others) and a bunch of celebrities (such as Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Liv Tyler, Cara Delevingne, and Robbie Williams). The couple (and their guests) battled heavy wind during the big day.
This post has been updated.
