The Worst-Dressed Royals At Kate Middleton And Prince William's Wedding

The United States may have split off from England two and a half centuries ago, but we're still suckers for their major royal events. There's a pomp and circumstance about seeing their coronations or military parades that we just don't experience here across the pond. Well, they don't get any more pomp-y and circumstance-y than royal weddings, which feature certain traditions that oddly appeal to us Yanks. One of the most anticipated weddings in recent history was that of William, Prince of Wales, to Catherine, Princess of Wales, on April 29, 2011. and it did not disappoint, especially in the fashion department. That doesn't mean there weren't some duds, though.

This royal wedding fulfilled all our Hallmark fantasies. Despite growing up in relative luxury, Kate Middleton was technically a commoner, so to see her become an official princess was thrilling. Her stunning gown, by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, even outshone her late mother-in-law's; yes, Princess Diana's famous wedding dress was gorgeous and iconic, but it was also so huge that it dwarfed her delicate figure.

A whopping 1,900 family members and friends attended the religious service at Westminster Abbey, all of whom had to follow the strict dress code for royal weddings. For men, formal morning wear is the standard, while women are expected to wear modest dresses and a festive hat or fascinator. The rules seemed straightforward enough, yet some of the regal attendees turned out looking less than their best. Some colors were either too bland or too bold, there were 'fits that didn't quite fit, and one someone wore a topper that was in a class of its own. Let's take a look back at the fashion misses that were caught by cameras on that otherwise glorious day.

Naturally, the groom's father and stepmother wanted to look their best for the big day. Then-Prince Charles had an easier job than his wife; his formal military uniform would inevitably look dashing. However, while Camilla Parker Bowles' outfit wasn't as inappropriate as ones she's donned in the past, her blue and pink coat dress made the former Duchess of Cornwall look washed out, and only its bits of gold embroidery kept her ensemble from being utterly bland. Thankfully, she changed into a far prettier blue dress for the reception. 

Anne, the Princess Royal, certainly looked far more festive than some of her royal relatives as she exited her car at Westminster Abbey. Her purple and green floral coat-and-dress ensemble was a perfect match, and her hat struck the right balance between fun and ridiculous. Unfortunately, while she looked great, the outfit seemed far more appropriate for an Easter brunch or a day at the Ascot races than for a royal cathedral wedding. If the princess had only stuck to solid colors, this would have landed her on the best-dressed list.

Back in 2011, Serena Armstrong-Jones was still wed to Princess Margaret's son, David Armstrong-Jones, 2nd Earl of Snowdon. (Their daughter, Margarita, is Margaret's only granddaughter.) As a noblewoman, the countess should certainly know proper wedding etiquette, so we can't understand why she chose this particular coat dress for her cousin's big day. Wearing white or cream is a longstanding wedding no-no, as it might take attention away from the bride. Then again, Armstrong-Jones' rather shapeless dress could never compete with Kate Middleton's showpiece gown.

With her own royal wedding just three months away at the time, Zara Phillips and her then-fiancé, Michael Tindall, beamed brightly at her cousin's ceremony, but alas, her dress was far shinier than her smile. The groom's cousin chose a heavy silver satin dress that looked like something NASA would have designed (or maybe the "Mythbusters" crew might have constructed out of duct tape). It might have worked better with a lighter-weight material, or with some black detailing to match Zara's modernist hat.  

Many international royals attended Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding as well, including Henri and Maria Teresa, the former Grand Duke and Duchess of Luxembourg. The Grand Duchess looked dazzling in a deep red gown at the rehearsal dinner the night before, but her suit for the next day's wedding was less impressive. The coat's front tie and oversized collar hit in the wrong places, and the baby blue shade suited her far less than the scarlet hue she wore at the rehearsal.

Princess Eugenie, the younger daughter of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson, nearly got it right; after all, she's one of the most fashionable members of the royal family. We love the color and concept of her bold blue dress, but the bodice appeared far too tight — was she even able to raise her arms? Plus, the uneven hem of the skirt looked more like an accident than a style statement, and her gold shoes seemed incongruous. On the plus side, Eugenie's hat was cute, despite our urge to nudge it further up her forehead.

We have to tip our hats to Princess Beatrice for taking the top of the worst-dressed list — and we wish she'd tipped her hat right off her head. Her coat dress was a trifle too pale and buttoned-up to flatter her, but we would have forgiven her if she hadn't added that fascinator. Sure, hats for royal occasions are supposed to be fun and attention-getting. What they're not supposed to do, though, is look as though they might leap onto your face and chew it off. Looking like a nightmarish creature from the "Alien" franchise, this hat distracted from what was otherwise a really wonderful day for fashion.