Meghan Markles wedding dress cost revealed – and it was more than the Duchess Of Cambridges gown
Meghan Markles wedding dress might not have beaten Kate Middletons in the Metro.co.uk reader battle, but it did when it came to the purse strings.
Prince Harrys bride chose a Clare Waight-designed Givenchy gown for her big day – which was her second marriage – on Saturday 19 May.
The simple design featured expert tailoring, a 16ft trained adorned with the flowers of the 53 Commonwealth countires and an underskirt in triple silk organza.
While the Duchess Of Cambridges is believed to have set her parents Caroline and Michael Middleton, who paid for the gown, back by £250,000, Meghans is thought to have cost more.
While not confirmed, its estimated the former Suits stars gown cost a whopping £387,000 – a whole £137,000 more than Kates.
It had previously been reported that Meghan would not spend as much as Kate on her dress out of respect for the future Queen Consort.
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However, it seems that is not quite true.
The simple, elegant design of Meghan dress has been met with a lot of praise and it has since been revealed just how much thought was put into the process.
When Meghans dress was revealed for the first time on Saturday, Kensington Palace revealed more details about the though behind its design.
Kensington Palace said: True to the heritage of the house, the pure lines of the dress are achieved using six meticulously placed seams. The focus of the dress is the graphic open bateau neckline that gracefully frames the shoulders and emphasises the slender sculpted waist.
The lines of the dress extend towards the back where the train flows in soft round folds cushioned by an underskirt in triple silk organza. The slim three-quarter sleeves add a note of refined modernity.
While an exact value for the royal wedding dress was not released, it was estimated at the weekend that the dress could have cost anywhere between £200k-£400k.
The more precise figure of £387k was later speculated following more analysis from experts.
It is made of high quality fabric and the simple design makes it quite time consuming and a complicated process to make.
Meghans veil was made from silk tulle with a trim of hand embroidered flowers in silk threads and organza.
Ms. Markle expressed the wish of having all 53 countries of the Commonwealth with her on her journey through the ceremony. Ms. Waight Keller designed a veil representing the distinctive flora of each Commonwealth country united in one spectacular floral composition.
— Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) May 19, 2018
The wedding gown was designed by Clare Waight Keller, who worked closely with Meghan Markle when designing the dress.
Clare is a British stylist who studied at Ravensbourne College of Art, followed by the Royal College of Art.
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She has worked for a number of big-nbame designers including Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Gucci, before moving to Paris and joining Givenchy as the first female artistic director for the company.
Givenchy is a company that produces luxury fashion and perfume and it was first formed in 1952.
In a statement released by Givenchy Haute Couture, the designer says: It is truly an honour to have been given the opportunity to closely collaborate with Meghan Markle on such a remarkable occasion.
Kate Middleton's lace wedding dress beats Meghan Markle's simple Givenchy design
We wanted to create a timeless piece that would emphasize the iconic codes of Givenchy throughout its history, as well as convey modernity through sleek lines and sharp cuts. In contrast, the delicate floral beauty of the veil was a vision Meghan and I shared, a special gesture embracing the commonwealth flora, ascending the circumference of the silk tulle.
As a British designr at a Parisian Haute Couture house, and on behalf of all us at Givenchy who have been able to experience such an extraordinary process of creativity, I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished and grateful of Meghan Markle, Prince Harry and Kensington Palace for allowing us to be part of this historical chapter.
It has been an immensly rewarding experience to get to know Meghan on a personal level, one I will forever carry with me. The House of Givenchy joins me in wishing her and Prince Harry every wish of happiness in their future.
A closer look at the Duchess Of Cambridge's wedding dress
Alexander McQueen's creative director Sarah Burton was the brains behind Kate's elegant – and stunning – lace bridal gown for her wedding to Prince William.
For months speculation was rife on who would be the designer and Sarah had kept a stealthy silence on the matter.
So it was only natural that everyone was clamoring for the first glimpse of Kate in her dress – even it it was shielded in part by the screens at The Goring.
As Kate finally emerged outside Westminster Abbey – with the entire world seeing her dress on TV screens before her husband-to-be had – it was confirmed that Burton was in fact the designer.
She was even on hand to neaten the train – which was 9ft long – on the day and ensure every inch of the dress looked perfect as Kate made her way down the aisle.
It later emerged that Kate and Sarah had been having secret meetings at Hampton Court Palace to discuss the dress – the location chosen due to its proximity to The Royal School Of Needlework, who created the lace for the gown.
It was so hush-hush that staff there were told that the lace they were creating was actually for a period drama.
MORE: Bishop that got Royals smirking thought invite was an April Fools joke
MORE: Behind the scenes pictures from Prince Harry and Meghans wedding
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