Kate Middleton and Prince William, on 29 April 2011, they swore eternal love to each other in Westminster Abbey, in London. A wedding blessed by the affection of those present and celebrated worldwide, which officially sanctioned the union between the two future sovereigns of England.
Exactly 13 years have passed since that expected one «yes, I do»promise of love and fidelity made before God and witnesses, and today the couple – “in good times and in bad, in health and in sickness” – continues to appear more united and solid than ever. A bond that is a reflection of that now tangible harmony between the two, shaped and matured among the dense networks of life, almost as if it were the weft of a fabric.
Upon closer inspection, in fact, this is precisely the meaning of 13th wedding anniversary which, traditionally, corresponds precisely to the so-called «lace wedding». In fact, each year of union is represented by a determined materialwhich goes from the most fragile (the first year, for example, corresponds to the paper) to the most solid, precisely to symbolize the degree of strength and stability that the relationship acquires over time.
The thirteenth year is marked by protection payment, notoriously one of the most precious and refined fabrics, figuratively synonymous with the understanding and harmony achieved by the couple who, aware of joys and difficulties, are capable of weaving ever more beautiful threads of their life, just like those of the royal fabric.
Kate Middleton and that scandal linked to her wedding dress that you (maybe) don't know about
An English dressmaker, Christine Kendall, claims to have inspired Sarah Burton's creation for Alexander McQueen with her designs and to prove it she filed a lawsuit in 2016. How did it really go? Here's what we know
On the occasion, therefore, of the celebrations for the wedding anniversary of the Princes of Wales we rewound the tape, returning to that April 29th thirteen years ago, when Kate Middleton, getting out of the car to walk down the nave of the Abbey together with her father and sister Pippa, revealed to the world her lace dress par excellence, that of hers Yes to Prince William.
We searched again perhaps the most famous and loved wedding dress of recent years, infiltrating its textures and embroideries, unearthing curiosities and anecdotes. Which we list here:
1.One dress, two types of lace
To make Kate Middleton's wedding dress decidedly romantic, an ivory and white satin gazar piece designed by Sarah Burton, Alexander McQueen's creative director at the time, are undoubtedly the lace inserts. To be precise, as we read in one official note from Buckingham Palace, a combination was used of two different types: French Chantilly lace and English Cluny, used for the bodice, skirt, and petticoat lining.
2. The tailors washed their hands every half hour
To avoid dirtying the fabric and to keep the laces immaculate, the tailors working on the legendary white dress washed their hands every thirty minutes.
3. Sewing needles were changed every 3 hours
To ensure maximum efficiency of the needles used for embroidery, they were renewed every three hours, in order to keep them sharp and clean.
4. Kate Middleton had her final dress fitting the day before her wedding
As he says Chloe Savage, one of the embroiderers of the dress, a People«Kate did her final test, in Sarah Burton's atelier, on the morning of the day before her wedding». It was the definitive appointment, the one where every detail had to be checked and scrutinized meticulously given that the next day the dress would be before the eyes of the world. “We were all sitting in the study around nine, waiting for the dress to come back with the latest changes to make». Changes which, as Savage still states, are fortunately for her and for the rest of the world team of 50 people who worked on the dress were very few.
5. The dress was completed the night before the wedding
«We finished the dress around 9pmbut until around 10pm we had to fix the shoe laces” Chloe Savage tells us again People. «Around 10pm, Sarah Burton made her final inspection, then we carefully packaged everything and delivered the dress to the boy in charge of escorting Kate's dress» The wedding dress was ready.
6. Suit tailors had to maintain secrecy
As you read above Hello, the embroiderer Mandy Ewing, part of the team that created the dress, told how she and her other colleagues had to maintain absolute confidentiality during the days of processing. «We knew who the dress was for, but it was a secret. We had net curtains drawn, the cleaners couldn't enter the room and the code on the door had been changed. The suit was all over the newspapers, but no one knew who was doing it.” Nobody could say anything, not even to his family, as also confirmed by Chloe Savage who, always at People, she told how she revealed everything to her daughter only on the day of the royal wedding: “She didn't know what I was doing for months and she was very excited when I told her that her mother had dressed a princess.”
7. The individual lace flowers were cut by hand
The lace appliqué for the bodice and skirt was handmade by members (comprising tutors, former staff, graduates, students – the youngest at the time was 19) of the Royal School of NeedleworkEnglish school of hand embroidery based in Hampton Court Palace, through the Carrickmacross lace making techniqueborn in Ireland in the 1820s. The individual flowers that make up the plot they were cut by hand from the lace, to then be pinned and positioned with absolute precision, always by hand, onto ivory silk tulle to create a unique and organic design. With laces sourced from other fabrics, sourced and supplied by Burton-selected British companies, great care has been taken to ensure that every flower was the same color.
8. Embroidered flowers have meaning
They can be recognized on their clothes roses, thistles, daffodils and clovers, certainly not chosen at random given that they are the symbols of the four countries that make up the United Kingdom. Respectively: England (Tudor rose), Scotland (Scottish thistle), Wales (daffodil) and Northern Ireland (shamrock).
9. Something new, something borrowed, something blue
As per tradition, the bridal look is made up of some special details. Between these something new, to symbolize the beginning of a new life. The parents took care of this and gave it to their daughter for the occasion Kate a pair of diamond earrings whose design evokes the Middleton family coat of arms characterized by acorns and oak leaves. Something borrowed came straight from then Queen Elizabeth II who lent the bride the Halo tiara, made by Cartier in 1936 and purchased by the Duke of York (later King George VI) for his duchess (later Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother) three weeks before he succeeded his brother as king . The tiara was given to Elizabeth II by her mother on the occasion of her 18th birthday. To something blue, symbol of purity and sinceritySarah Burton thought directly as she hid a small bow of this color under the skirt of her dress.
10. Over 2 meters of train and 58 buttons
While the veil, made up of layers of soft ivory silk tulle with a border of hand-embroidered flowers, is contained, the train exceeds two metres. To be precise: 2 meters and 70 centimeters. An acceptable measurement if we think that Lady Diana's was over 7 meters. Other numbers? 58, like the buttons covered in gazar and organza.
11. The secret kept by Sarah Burton
Like all brides, Kate Middleton also wanted to remain confidential about the choice of designer and the style of the dress she would wear. Not a simple operation if you think of all the people involved in the creation, including the stylist, who she had to keep secret to the end, even with his parents. “Even my mom called me and asked, 'Would you tell me, right?'” Burton told Vogue.Uk following rumors that it was her daughter who made Kate's dress that came out in the press in the days before the wedding. Burton respected a confidentiality agreement with Buckingham Palace, according to which she could not reveal the task assigned to her to anyone, not even her family. For the record: Burton's parents first saw the dress on their wedding day.
Source: Vanity Fair
I’m Susan Karen, a professional writer and editor at World Stock Market. I specialize in Entertainment news, writing stories that keep readers informed on all the latest developments in the industry. With over five years of experience in creating engaging content and copywriting for various media outlets, I have grown to become an invaluable asset to any team.
