Princess Eugenie arrived to St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle in an absolutely breathtaking ballgown by British designers Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos, the Palace confirmed.
The gown featured a portrait neckline, long sleeves, a dramatic cathedral-length train, and a low-cut back in a woven silk jacquard custom designed for the bride by Pilotto and De Vos. The bride forewent a veil, in an undeniably modern move, to showcase her stunning tiara, and her enviable frame.
Like Kate Middleton's Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen bridal gown for her 2011 wedding to Prince William, Eugenie's dress featured bold pleating at the back of the waistline, which added drama and visual interest to the extra-elongated train.
In comparison to Meghan Markle's minimal and streamlined Givenchy wedding gown by Clare Waight Keller, Eugenie's bridal gown feels a bit extra in it's design. Meghan's gown was a matte silk cady, with an open bateau neckline, three-quarter length sleeves, and a fit-to-flare silhouette. The gown featured no embroidery, no lace, no beading, and was all about shape and sleekness. Eugenie's gown, on the other hand, is all about exquisite fine detail.
Per the Palace, Eugenie's gown was developed layer by layer, from the corset to the complexity of its underskirt and full pleated skirt. The neckline drapes around the shoulders, and dips into a low back. The silk jacquard fabric was designed by the Pilotto and De Vos to picture tonal imagery of the "Thistle of Scotland, acknowledging the couple's fondness for Balmoral, a Shamrock for Ireland as a nod to the Bride's Ferguson family, the York Rose and ivy representing the couple's home." Pilotto's development of the fabric is much akin to Waight Keller's search for Meghan's silk cady, which she revealed was a challenge in the design of the Duchess of Sussex's wedding gown.
The two modern royal brides are similar in their neckline choices as well, given that Meghan also opted for an open neckline with interest. Eugenie's gown, however, nods to the high V-neckline of her mother's wedding gown in her wedding to Prince Andrew, but her choice not to wear a veil is entirely her own. Meghan opted for a cathedral length veil, embroidered with the 50 flowers of the British commonwealth. The representation of meaningful blooms in the design of Meghan's veil is similar to Eugenie's representation of meaningful blooms in her gown's the fabric design.
While Eugenie and Meghan are both beacons of young and modern royal bridal style and shared the same wedding venue (Eugenie and Jack delayed their wedding date to accommodate Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's May wedding, in respect for Harry's line to the throne) the two royal brides could not be more different in their fashion choices. Eugenie's look is far more comparable to Kate Middleton's Alexander McQueen gown in the fine details, and in the overall silhouette and drama of the look.
While Meghan was absolutely stunning, and Kate was the epitome of chic and classic, Eugenie's twists on royal wedding tradition, innovative details in her dress design, inclusion of emeralds in her wedding jewelry, and innovative fabric choice make her bridal style the most forward-thinking of them all.
Carrie Goldberg is HarpersBAZAAR.com’s Weddings & Travel Director. She oversees the site’s BAZAAR Bride channel, travel & dining content, and styles fashion and bridal editorials for BAZAAR.com. When she’s not traveling, she spends her free time in her hometown–New York City–where there is no shortage of new places to shop, eat, drink, see and explore.
