Best Royal Brides & Wedding Dresses

[marilla]

Best:
Princess Grace (real fairy-tale princess)
Princess Maxima (classical bride dress)
Princess Mette-Marit (like modern sylphid)
Princess Margaret (Great Britan, evergreen - I like her daughter-in-law copy, too)

Worst:
Princess Diana (one word - puff-ball)
Princess Mabel (I put all my wedding-cake decorations on my train)
Princess Marie-Chantal (I bought this copy of Princess Grace dress in Tesco)
And I almost forget - Kalina of Bulgaria (I like wearing my old sheet on my head)

 

[marilla]

My favourites:
Princess Máxima
Princess Märtha Louise
Princess Mary

Princess Grace was very beautiful bride but too serious.

This isn't list of my favourite wedding-dresses.

 

[Avalon]

My top 10, including "old brides" and "new brides", would be:

1. Queen Elizabeth of the UK (then Princess Elizabeth of the UK)
2. Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
3. Queen Alia of Jordan
4. Princess Grace of Monaco
5. Queen Margareth of Denmark
6. Princess Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
7. Princess Claire of Belgium
8. Princess Farah of Daghestani
9. Princess Margaret of the UK
10. Princess Rym of Jordan

Different people posted their wedding dresses in this thread. Thanks to al of them.

 

[gogm]

Favorite Wedding Dresses

They are:
Queen Fabiola - the fur was a wonderful touch
Princess Margaret - the gown was made of simple, but luscious material highlighting her tiara and face.
Princess Grace - perfection in lace

More recently Archduchess Constanza in 1994 due to the line of the skirt.

 

[tiff_tiff_tiff2000]

I loved how CP Mary looked on her wedding day. Her dress was beautiful, the make up and hair was perfect and she had that sparkling glow every bride should have on their day.

Princess Grace was the most elegant bride, she did look absolutely beautiful that day. That dress was absolutely timeless as was Queen Margrethe. Princess Claire's dress is also one of the most beautiful dresses of all times.

 

[corazon]

diana was absoluly beatiful and radiant in her wedding day, of couse my vote is for her.

 

[Hereditary Mapmaker]

My top 10, including "old brides" and "new brides", would be:

1. Queen Elizabeth of the UK (then Princess Elizabeth of the UK)
2. Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
3. Queen Alia of Jordan
4. Princess Grace of Monaco
5. Queen Margareth of Denmark
6. Princess Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall
7. Princess Claire of Belgium
8. Princess Farah of Daghestani
9. Princess Margaret of the UK
10. Princess Rym of Jordan

Different people posted their wedding dresses in this thread. Thanks to al of them.

I could only get down to a top 15, but I was amazed at how many picks we have in common, Avalon. Here are mine in chronological order:

1956 Princess Grace of Monaco
1960 Princess Margaret of the UK
1967 Princess Margarethe of Denmark
1990 Princess Maria of Bulgaria
1992 Lady Helen Windsor of Kent
1995 Infanta Elena of Spain
2000 Queen Karabo of Lesotho
2001 Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands
2001 Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
2002 Princess Maxima of the Netherlands
2003 Princess Claire of Belgium
2004 Farah Daghestani of Jordan
2004 Princess Rym of Jordan
2004 Princess Sarah of Brunei
2005 The Duchess of Cornwall

Honorable Mention:
1947 Princess Elizabeth of the UK
1966 Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands
1973 Princess Anne of the UK
1994 Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones of Snowdon
2005 Princess Anita of the Netherlands

Mapper

 

[soCal girl]

Older Choice: HSH Princess Grace of Monaco (one of the classiest royals to ever have lived)

Modern Choice: HRH Princess Claire of Belgium (her gown was exquisite!) and
Princess Martha Louise (she just radiated with love )

 

[angiep]

I think they all made such beautiful brides, it's hard to narrow it down to just a few!
As far as the 'older' brides, I'd have to go with Princess Margaret, Princess Diana, Sarah, and Grace Kelly.
For the 'newer' I'll go with Princess Mary and Rania.
I really adore Maxima and think she's a gorgeous woman, but I didn't think she looked like 'herself' on her wedding day. Her hair was too severe for her personality or something. Like I said, I think she is truly beautiful but I don't think she shone like she could have.

 

[grevinnan]

I loved Letizia's gown best of all. The was very regal and classic. Her gown was a very special wedding gown, not a ball gown in white.

 

[Nad25]

My old choice of royal birde is Princess Margaret.....and for the present its Princess Letizia of Spain and Mary of Denmark..each one of them looked fab on their wedding day. I think Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece looked lovely on her wedding day too.

 

[LaChicaMadrilena]

My favourite:
Letizia: PERFECT gown and even more PERFECT groom
Cristina: her dress was timeless, I'd like to wear sth like that for MY big day
Claire: the best veil I and hairdo have ever seen
Princess Margaret
Mette-Marit: so simple and so elegant
Queen Sofia: she was (and still is) absolutely beautiful, but the hairdo was weird
Mary: she was ok, but IMO she looked a bit fat (and she wasn't) in that dress. And there was nothing special in it, I can buy similar dress in the shop just around the corner (ok, maybe not exactly) I didn't like her hair, though.

 

[HRH Elizabeth]

I always loved Princess Maxima's gown...it seems to me like the absolutly ideal royal gown. It just epitomizes royalty for me. Gorgeous.

 

[actr]

I think Maxima looked stunning on her wedding day - perfect dress and gorgeous veil!

 

[Waxxwing]

For the older bride I would have to go with Pss. Margaret - so tiny and exquisite. Grace Kelley for me ran second to that.

And have we forgotten an absolutley stunning bride, Reza Pahlavi's (the current de facto Shah)? Did someone mention it above? She looked stunning, so slender and delicate. I can't find a photo, but a gorgeous sheath dress made in Paris, I think.

Among the more modern set, my choices in descending order would be:

CP Mary
CP Maxima
CP Mathilde
CP Letizia

I didn't like Mette-Marit's dress at all.

I also loved Lady Sarah Chatto's highly unusual but totally in character wedding ensemble. And I liked Serena Lynley's echo of her mother in law in her wedding ensemble a generation later.

I was not that keen on the dresses of either of the Spanish Infantas, but I can't put my finger on why. And Diana's was a notable failure.

 

[almee]

I loved Mette-Marit's gown. It just seemed to float.
I liked Mary & Letizia's gowns but they just seemed to be a bit heavy.
But then again, all brides are lovely on their special day.

 

[saphills]

My favourites:
Maxima
Letizia
Camilla
Mathilde

 

[HRH Elizabeth]

Irrespective of my feelings about Camilla, I have to admit her gown at the blessing was beautiful and suited her very well. As for Mathilde's though, I thought it was rather plain for the future Queen of the Belgians. Very pretty, but could have used a touch more embellishment in my opinion. I vastly prefered Letizia's incarnation of the dress, with the embroidery, etc.

 

[Avalon]

I loved Mette-Marit's gown. It just seemed to float...

I also loved Mette-Marit's dress. It was one of the best, worn by a Royal bride, imo.
The Duchess of Cornwall looked flattering on her wedding day. I must have been hard to choose something that would suit her big day, her age, the occasion, woldn't be too plain or too complex... She made the perfect choice!

 

[soCal girl]

I also have to add that Queen Beatrix looked lovely on her wedding day. Helmet hair and all!

 

[crisiñaki]

I also have to add that Queen Beatrix looked lovely on her wedding day. Helmet hair and all!

Betrix wouldn't be Beatrix without the "Beatrixkapsel" !

 

[Christo's Girl]

I did like the style of Mary's dress and the colour and fabric were wonderful. But , the dress didn't "anchor" itself well on her shoulders.

Gosh, again it is coming back to me who I liked.

1. Countess Linley(Serena)- a nice hommage to her mother in law
2. Lady Helen Taylor in a gorgeous Catherine Walker dress
3. Lady Davina Windsor- a sweet English bride
4. Mette Marit- a wonderful column dress
5. Mary- it was unique the most memorable of the recent royal brides

 

[Her_Majesty]

The Best:

-1- Princess Maxima of the Netherlands- the best dress ever
-2- Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
-3- Princess Mary of Denmark
-4- Infanta Christina

The Worst:

-1- Countess Sophie Ryes-Jones - it looked as if it was too tall!
-2- Princess Diana - it was much too 80's ! She was so beautiful, but I
really don't like the dress
-3- Princess Anette - Bad choice... it also looked to tall and the
colour was awful...
-4- Mabel! It has been said before: Too many bows!

 

[Redferns]

Mathilde
Letizia
Mette Marit

 

[bluebess]

Best:

1. Lady Sarah Chatto. Wow
2. Mette-Marit. Her dress seemed to float along the ground. I appreciate her understated style.
3. Sarah, Duchess of York. It was a great 80's dress and she looked gorgeous

Worst:

1. Princess Diana. Even as a teen I knew that was bad and I mean really bad
2. Kalina of Bulgaria. She looked scary and for the record I think she is an attractive woman.
3. Letizia. I am sorry to say it but she was just swamped in that dress.

 

[LadyK]

Best:

1) CP Mette-Marit. I loved the crepe fabric, so unusual, and the dress was simple, well fitting, classic, and elegant, things which suit MM perfectly
2) Princess Claire of Belgium. Well, really, this was a tie, because I loved her dress too, but I thought MM overall looked better. I loved the lace sleeves.
3) Queen Margrethe. Her dress was just utterly timeless. Her wedding was what, thirty-some years ago, and I would wear her dress now.
4) Queen Elizabeth II of England. Her dress just suited her, and she seemed to just radiate happiness in it.

On the Fence:

1) Letizia, Princess of Asturias. Loved the train, liked the gown, but it swallowed her up- she didn't wear the dress, the dress wore her.
2) Mary of Denmark. She just didn't look as beautiful as she usually does in gala wear on her wedding day. Mary herself was lovely and very happy looking,but she almost looked like someone else, but a very pretty someone else. Considering the dress alone, I'm on the fence
3) Princess Diana. I thought the dress was very fairy tale, very soft, kind of like her (just meaning she seemed nice, sweet, things like that). But it was rather puffy, and the wrinkles were a definate negative.

The Worst:

1) Marie-Chantal of Greece. Overdone, not well matched to her facial features and body, and leaning towards being downright flashy and pretentious, which, IMO, is a lot like the woman herself.

2) As much as I hate to do this... Maria-Theresa of Luxemburg. She was such a beauty then (she still is rather pretty), and so in love, but, well, the dress... the fur edging reminded me of a Santa suit. But it did fit well.

3) Sibilla of Luxembourg. This one doesn't pain me so much. The dress I thought looked lovely. And then I saw the full length view. The pillowy hem looks like a curtain or a mattress. Yuck. Please don't ruin what would normally be a lovely dress with a hem that belongs on a bed skirt or a petticoat.

4) Stephanie of Monaco. She just looked trashy in that mini-skirt dress. Kind of what I thought Britney Spears would wear when she married Kevin Federline. Actually, if you switch the mini-dress Stephanie wore with the lovely Monique Lhuillier gown Britney wore, we would get something a lot more suitable for each woman. A more elegant gown for the Princess of Monaco, and well..... I'm not going to go there.

5)Laura Ponte. Maybe she was trying a new theme: Top ten ways to make a very striking woman look unattractive.

6) (cause I just can't stop myself!!!!) (maybe I should go work with Joan Rivers...hmm... anybody know her number?) Astrid of Belgium. 'Cause the woman looks like she's wearing marshmellows for sleeves.

Since I really should stop this, because I have my final exam this morning at 9:45, and I really should keep studying, I'll end with the All-time Worst Ever, Gag me, I'll go to my wedding in the others from the worst dressed list please:

(this one can't be ranked) Mabel of the Netherlands. The bows! The bows! They've taken on a life of their own! They're starting to strangle me!!!! They just keep getting bigger!!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

They just keep coming back!!! AAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

no seriously, good night all. I'm off to study.

 

[Jackswife]

So many choices (on both sides of the issue ) but here are mine:

Best:
Princess Grace
Duchess of Kent
Mette-Marit
Maxima
Fabiola

Worst:
Mabel
Diana (a heartbreaker because I loved her dearly but the dress was not the most flattering to her)
Countess of Wessex
Princess Margaret (similar to Diana, a case of too much dress and not enough bride)

 

[queenanne]

My favorites would have to be:
1. Claire of Belgium
2. Letizia of Spain
3. Grace of Monaco
4. Cristina of Spain
5. Paola of Belgium

 

[soCal girl]

I thought Princess Claire's dress was beautiful. The lace sleeves with a little bit of the shoulders revealed looked great on Claire. The only thing I didn't like was the headpiece (I refuse to call it a tiara ). But the dress itself was gorgeous.

Is it weird that I liked Mary's wedding dress sketch better than the actual dress? In the sketch you could see the beautiful detail of the sleeves and stuff much better.

 

[flora]

Princess Margaret & family score in the best wedding dress category (Margaret, Sarah & Serena).