Part of an ongoing series of 29Secrets stories, taking a deep dive into the history of legendary beauty products and iconic fashion moments…
By Christopher Turner
Illustration by Michael Hak
On Saturday, May 19, 2018, tens of millions of people around the world watched as Meghan Markle, the former American actress and humanitarian, married Prince Harry in a history-making royal wedding. Beyond the grandeur of the day, the guest list filled with A-list celebrities and the heartfelt moments between the high-profile newlyweds, the most anticipated part of the day was Markle’s wedding dress.
The couple announced their engagement on Monday, November 27, 2017, but speculation about the bride’s wedding dress had started even earlier, with some royal commentators suggesting that Markle would not wear a white wedding dress if the couple got married because she had been previously married. After the engagement was announced, the anticipation and speculation about the royal wedding went into overdrive, with fashion watchers anxiously waiting to find out which designer Markle would work with.
There were rumours in the press about which designer she’d selected: the possibilities were Ralph & Russo, Burberry and Oscar de la Renta. It wasn’t until Markle stepped out of the vintage Rolls-Royce Phantom IV on her wedding day that the world got its first glimpse of her gown – and it was a breathtaking Givenchy, a true example of minimalism, elegance and modernity. Designed by Clare Waight Keller, the first female artistic director of the house of Givenchy, the dress immediately cemented itself in fashion history. Its clean lines and sculptural silhouette stood in stark contrast to past royal wedding gowns, and while some found it too simple, others hailed it as a revolutionary choice, reflective of Markle’s independent spirit and modern approach to royal life.
But beyond the aesthetic, Markle’s iconic Givenchy wedding dress held deep layers of meaning: read on for a story of craftsmanship, and a new vision for royal fashion.
When Harry met Meghan
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s love story began in the summer of 2016 when they were set up on a blind date by a mutual friend – reportedly US-based British-Bahraini fashion designer Misha Nonoo. At the time, Markle was starring as Rachel Zane in the legal drama series Suits, while Harry was fulfilling his royal duties. Their connection was reportedly immediate, and after just two dates, the prince invited Markle to join him on a trip to Botswana, a landlocked country in Southern Africa, where they camped under the stars. Their whirlwind romance remained under wraps for several months until news of their relationship broke in late 2016, leading Harry to issue an unprecedented statement on November 8, just eight days after the relationship had been made public by the press, condemning the media and Internet trolls for their treatment of his girlfriend.
Despite the intense scrutiny, their bond only grew stronger. Markle, who at the time was based in Toronto while filming Suits, frequently flew to London to see the prince, and the couple navigated their long-distance relationship with quiet determination.
By early 2017, Markle was introduced to members of the royal family, including Prince William and Kate Middleton, and later that year, she was introduced to Queen Elizabeth II, a significant milestone in the couple’s courtship. In November 2017, after more than a year of dating, Harry proposed during a cozy night at Nottingham Cottage, their Kensington Palace residence. Over a homemade roast chicken dinner, he presented Markle with a custom-designed engagement ring featuring diamonds from Princess Diana’s collection, sealing their fairy-tale romance with an official announcement that was made to the world on Monday, November 27 that year.
The designer and the Givenchy legacy
When Markle selected Clare Waight Keller to design her wedding gown, she not only chose an acclaimed British designer but also made history. The appointment of a woman designing for a royal bride was a significant feminist statement, aligning with Markle’s values of female empowerment. Waight Keller was the first female artistic director of Givenchy, the French luxury fashion house that had been founded in 1952 by designer Hubert de Givenchy, and was previously known for dressing icons such as Audrey Hepburn, Jackie Kennedy and Grace Kelly. Waight Keller, who had already worked with a number of leading fashion houses including Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Scottish cashmere label Pringle, and Chloé, was appointed artistic director of haute couture and ready-to-wear for women and men in 2017, immediately following Riccardo Tisci’s departure from the label.
In an interview after the wedding, Waight Keller shared that Markle had a strong vision for her dress: she wanted something that would be timeless, elegant and effortlessly sophisticated. She was drawn to Givenchy’s legacy of architectural tailoring and understated glamour, which had long been a hallmark of the house.
“Looking at the design of the dress, there were many conversations we had over how you want to present yourself to the world,” Waight Keller said in the 2022 Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan. “Most of us have a wedding with 70 to 100 people. This was billions of people watching. It has to be flawless. It had to be perfect.”
Four years earlier, in HBO’s 2018 Queen of the World documentary, Markle had shed some light on the actual creation of the dress with Waight Keller. “We had two or three meetings talking about sketches and different ideas of how this really could come to life,” Markle told Hannah Belcher, of the Royal Collection Trust, in the documentary. “We knew we wanted to be very delicate. But after that point, I just said, I trust her implicitly with what she did, and I didn’t see [the dress] really until the morning of.” When asked what it felt like to actually wear the dress, Markle flashed a smile: “It was a pretty magical day. Really special.
“Somewhere in here is a piece of blue fabric that’s stitched inside – my something blue – from the dress that I wore on our first date,” Markle added.
Of course, the collaboration was kept a closely guarded secret, with only a handful of people aware of the design process. Waight Keller and her team worked tirelessly for months, ensuring that every stitch, seam and silhouette was flawless for the world stage.
When Prince Harry and Markle tied the knot in a fairytale wedding at Windsor Castle, an estimated 1.9 billion people tuned in to watch the pair say their “I do’s,” making it one of the biggest televised events in history.
“A great level of detail went into the planning of our wedding day,” Markle acknowledged in an audio clip from the couple’s “A Royal Wedding: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex” exhibit in Windsor. “We knew how large the scale of the event would be, so in making choices that were really personal and meaningful, it could make the whole experience feel intimate.”
The dress: A masterpiece of minimalism
At first glance, Markle’s Givenchy wedding dress was deceptively simple, but its beauty lay in its precision, construction and symbolism. The wedding dress was made from pure white silk cady, a luxurious fabric known for its smoothness and structure. The gown featured a sculptural bateau neckline, modest three-quarter length sleeves (in keeping with royal tradition), a fitted bodice that skimmed her frame without clinging, and a regal extended train made of double silk organza.
Unlike many other royal wedding dresses, the gown featured no lace, embellishment or intricate embroidery. This was a bold departure from tradition, especially compared to Kate Middleton’s lace-detailed Alexander McQueen gown,Princess Diana’s voluminous, ruffled taffeta dress (which was designed by husband-and-wife team David and Elizabeth Emanuel), or even Queen Elizabeth II’s wedding dress. Markle’s choice spoke to her preference for modern, clean lines and her desire to break away from excessive opulence.
The Givenchy wedding dress reportedly took 3,900 hours to complete, with teams of artisans ensuring that every element was executed with absolute precision.
The 16-foot veil: a symbolic tribute to the Commonwealth
While the gown itself was minimalistic, Markle’s 16-foot silk tulle veil was steeped in symbolism. She wanted a design that reflected her new role as the Duchess of Sussex and paid homage to the Commonwealth of Nations, an organization that held personal significance for both her and Prince Harry.
The veil featured delicate hand-embroidered floral motifs representing all 53 Commonwealth countries. Each bloom was chosen to symbolize the culture, flora or history of its respective country. Some notable inclusions were the bunchberry (a flowering member of the dogwood family), to represent Canada; wintersweet (a flower that grows near Nottingham Cottage at Kensington Palace, where she and Harry first lived together); lotus flower (symbolizing resilience and enlightenment, representing India); and protea (a nod to South Africa, signifying strength and change). Also represented was the California poppy (representing Markle’s home state of California).
During the construction process, artisans working on the veil were required to wash their hands every 30 minutes to ensure the delicate embroidery remained pristine. The result was an ethereal, floating masterpiece that caught the light as Markle walked down the aisle, creating an almost angelic effect.
The tiara: a connection to royal history
Completing Markle’s bridal look was the Queen Mary Diamond Bandeau Tiara, a stunning Art Deco piece from 1932. The tiara, lent to her by Queen Elizabeth II, featured a detachable diamond brooch at its centre, originally gifted to Queen Mary in 1893.
This choice of tiara was significant. While it wasn’t as grand as Kate Middleton’s Cartier Halo Tiara or Princess Diana’s Spencer Tiara, it carried a certain understated elegance, perfectly complementing Markle’s modern gown.
The fashion impact: a new standard for bridal style
To say that Markle’s Givenchy wedding dress redefined royal bridal fashion is an understatement. While some critics found the gown too simple, its impact on bridal trends worldwide was immediate.
“Sleek and minimalist are not typically words we associate with royal wedding dresses, which is what made Meghan Markle’s Givenchy gown such a fashion moment,” Alison McGill, a wedding expert and the host of the podcast Aisle Seat, told 29Secrets. “Markle’s royal wedding dress sparked movement towards elegant and architectural wedding dress designs. The modern silk white gown was void of any excess detailing, and featured an open bateau neckline, tailored sleeves, cathedral train and six meticulously placed seams. This new simplistic bridal style remains a key trend in bridal wear today.
“We can also thank Markle for bringing back the veil moment,” McGill added.
It’s true. Markle’s minimalist aesthetic influenced brides everywhere. Following the royal wedding, designers such as Brandon Maxwell, Oscar de la Renta and Carolina Herrera reported a surge in requests for sleek, unembellished gowns, signalling a shift away from heavily embroidered or lace-heavy designs.
A dress that defined a moment
A few months after the royal wedding, Markle’s Givenchy wedding gown was displayed at Windsor Castle, allowing royal fans to see the craftsmanship up close. Since then, it has been carefully preserved in the Royal Collection, where it remains part of royal fashion history.
More than just a gown, Meghan Markle’s Givenchy wedding dress marked a turning point in royal fashion. It was a statement of modern femininity, diplomatic elegance and quiet confidence – a gown fit not just for a duchess, but for a woman who was forging her own path in history.
Though Markle and Harry have since stepped away from their senior royal roles, the memory of her iconic wedding dress remains, serving as a symbol of grace, change and the enduring power of timeless style.
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