The wedding outfits of The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are going on display in Scotland for the first time.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, known also as the Earl and Countess of Dumbarton in Scotland were married on May 19 2018 at St George’s Chapel in Windsor.
From June 14, the special exhibition at the Palace of Holyrood in Edinburgh features The Duchess of Sussex’s wedding dress, five metre long veil and Prince Harry’s frock coat uniform.
The display also features a diamond and platinum bandeau tiara made in 1932 for Queen Mary and lent to the Duchess of Sussex by Her Majesty The Queen.
The page and bridesmaid outfits of His Royal Highness Prince George and Her Royal Highness Princess Charlotte are also on display.
In a recording made for visitors of the exhibition, the Duke and Duchess discuss their plans for the wedding, including the choice of outfits, music and flowers.
The Duchess says: “A great level of detail went into the planning of our wedding day. We know 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 Duchess’s wedding dress with boat-neckline bodice was created by British designer Clare Waight Keller, Artistic Director at the historic French fashion house Givenchy.
The dress will be displayed with the silk tuille five-metre long veil, embroidered with the flora of the 53 countries of the Commonwealth, including a thistle to represent Scotland.
The Duchess also added two of her favourite flowers to the embroidered decoration: Wintersweet which grows in the grounds of Kensington Palace where she and the Duke were living before their marriage, and the California Poppy, to represent her birthplace.
The Duke’s wedding outfit was the frock coat uniform of the Household Cavalry (the Blues and Royals), specially commissioned for the occasion and created by tailors Dege and Skinner on London’s Savile Row.
In the recording for visitors to the exhibition, the Duke says: “I chose the frock coat as a uniform, with permission from my Grandmother, because I think it’s one of the smartest Household Cavalry uniforms. It’s one of my favourites, and I was very fortunate to be able to wear it on the day.”
Senior curator Caroline de Guitaut managed the exhibition in Edinburgh and its previous residency in Windsor.
She said: “It took the team of embroiderers hundreds of hours to create the design of the wedding dress and veil, and thanks to the delicacy and intricacy of the detailing and its white colour, they washed their hands every 20 minutes to keep the tulle and threads pristine.”
“The decision to bring the exhibition to Scotland came about as a result of wanting as many people to see the wedding outfits as possible,” she added.
“And of course, this is one of the earliest places they visited after their engagement, to meet the people of Edinburgh, so it seemed very fitting to be able to show it in Her Majesty’s Palace of Holyrood, here.”
A Royal Wedding: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, The Palace of Holyrood, Edinburgh, June 14 – October 6
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