Queen Elizabeth's Granddaughters Wore Absolutely Stunning Wedding Dresses

Whenever royal wedding bells are ringing, fans can't contain their excitement. There's chatter about the venue, the couple's entourage, the guest list, their wedding cake, and, of course, the bride's gown. Thankfully, royal wedding dresses rarely disappoint. They usually live up to the pomp and circumstance expected from these events — and then some. Meghan Markle arguably wore the most understated wedding gown in royal history (and she looked gorgeous doing so). Those before her donned elaborate gowns that, in some instances, looked quite hard to walk in.

Princess Diana glided down the aisle in a classic '80s fabric explosion that also included the longest train ever worn by a British royal (it measured an astonishing 25 feet). Getting into the carriage on her wedding day was reportedly an arduous task. Princess Catherine's wedding dress was simple, yet intricate, and required alterations mere hours before the wedding was set to commence, with designers working until 9 p.m. the night before to ensure the fit was absolutely perfect.

Queen Elizabeth II, who also donned a pretty lengthy train and had her dress embroidered with crystals and pearls, had the pleasure of watching three of her four granddaughters get married before she passed away. And, as expected, they all wore absolutely stunning wedding dresses that we're pretty sure have inspired many other gowns since.

Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Tindall, married rugby player Mike Tindall on July 30, 2011, in a rather intimate ceremony that was starkly different from Prince William and Princess Catherine's, which was one of the best royal weddings in history. That doesn't mean Zara and Mike skimped on the details, though, despite their big day not being televised like the senior royals' typically are. The Princess Royal's daughter looked absolutely stunning in a white gown that showed off her hourglass figure, thanks to its corset design and dramatic flare from the waist. The back was the picture of elegant simplicity, with its capped sleeves attaching to the mid-back of the dress in an eye-catching V-shape. 

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But here's the best part — the dress also had pockets that were so expertly hidden no one even knew about them until the designers disclosed it. Notably, Zara's breathtaking dress paid homage to her beloved grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II — the gown was designed by Stewart Parvin, the queen's designer of choice for her own clothing. In fact, the long-reigning monarch was such a fan that she honored him with the Royal Victorian Order (RVO) in 2016. Aside from the gorgeous wedding dress, Zara also sported a glittering Greek tiara, which she borrowed from Princess Anne for her big day.

Princess Eugenie stunned on her wedding day, thanks to a mixture of elegance and vulnerability. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson's youngest daughter's struggle with scoliosis has been well documented over the years, and she chose to use her wedding dress to show off the scars from her spinal surgery. Eugenie married British executive Jack Brooksbank on October 12, 2018, at St. George's Chapel. Their wedding was the second grand royal affair of the year, taking place mere months after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's May 2018 nuptials. 

Eugenie's long-sleeved gown was designed by Peter Pilotto and Chrisopher de Vos, who reportedly conducted painstaking research to get every detail just right for her big day. Following in the late Princess Diana's footsteps, the dress had an impressive train, and its long sleeves folded over at the neckline, creating a V-shape at the front and back, which showed off the princess' scars from the scoliosis surgery she had when she was only 12. Eugenie opted out of wearing a veil, walking down the aisle with only the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, which she borrowed from Queen Elizabeth II. 

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In an audio guide the princess recorded for the display of her wedding gown in the Grand Reception Room at Windsor Castle, she shared how excited she was about pairing her dress with the tiara. "I've never worn a tiara before in my life. It was the most incredible thing to wear such a piece of history that my grandmother had lent me," Eugenie enthused, per Town & Country magazine. While not wearing a veil broke with royal tradition, Eugenie forfeited it in favor of showing off her scars, and the glitzy tiara more than made up for it.

Queen Elizabeth II certainly doted on her granddaughters, and her affection for them was crystal clear on Princess Beatrice's wedding day. Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson's oldest daughter didn't have a wedding gown designed for her; instead, Beatrice asked her grandmother if she could borrow one of her gorgeous dresses and make some alterations for her nuptials to British executive Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, on July 17, 2020. The gown, which was designed by Sir Norman Hartnell, made its debut in 1962, when Queen Elizabeth II donned it to attend the "Lawrence of Arabia" premiere, per the royal family's official Instagram account. Hartnell was favored by The Firm, and it was his creation the queen wore on both her wedding day and her coronation. 

Thank you to everyone who has sent in and tweeted their best wishes for our special day in July. Edo and I are so excited to embark on this new chapter together ❤️ pic.twitter.com/bGwGYB2WvF

— Princess Beatrice of York (@yorkiebea) October 16, 2020

The Peau De Soie taffeta and organza gown, with its sparkling adornments, was altered for Beatrice's big day by Stewart Parvin and Angela Kelly. They added puffy sleeves to the dress's straps, but for the most part kept it mostly the same as it was. To round off the look, Beatrice donned Queen Mary's diamond fringe tiara, which was also an ode to her beloved grandmother, given that Her Majesty wore it on her own wedding day as well. After Beatrice's dress was put on display at Windsor Castle, she took to X to share just how much it meant to her that the queen was willing to lend her the gorgeous gown in the first place. "It was an honour to wear my grandmother's beautiful dress on my wedding day," the princess penned, while encouraging her fans to go see it for themselves.