Royal wedding dresses: a history

What can history teach us about Kate Middleton s choice of wedding dress Dr Joanna Marschner reveals the style and symbolism of two centuries of royal wedding dresses. Find out what the dresses say about attitudes to royal marriage, about the the state of the nation and about the personality of the brides who wore them. From Princess Charlotte s silver gown of 1826, through Queen Victoria s iconic white silk dress, through to Princess Margaret s Norman Hartnell designed couture gown. The dresses are part of the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection looked after by Historic Royal Palaces at Kensington Palace.