I share your thought that this is one of the most underrated royal wedding gowns; it is not a favorite, but one that I really appreciate!
This was a wedding dress fit for a born-princess - who would one day become queen - with its luxurious fabric and exquisite lace and fine craftsmanship. It was clearly a gown of its time, yet had an historic flair to it.
The designer struck a perfect harmony between grandeur (opulence of materials, abundance of lace) and restraint (simplicity of the streamlined/tailored silhouette, controlled volume) - the dress stopped just short of being overwhelming and too much. It
is timeless, classic, elegant, regal and feminine. The fit, the construction, the bodice, the neckline, the silhouette were all lovely. And the beautiful lace was clearly visible.
For me, the greatest flaw in the dress was its two trains. While I favor a long train on a royal wedding gown, two substantial trains is unnecessary and excessive. I personally think the undertrain of the dress was all that it required. But, perhaps, she wanted to not only protect the veil but to also display it--in which case, I think the watteau train should have been shorter and the undertrain not included.
I have mixed feelings about the veil. On one hand I feel that it overwhelmed the bride and almost pushes the dress into the 'too much' lace category (like Tatiana of Greece). On the other hand it somehow worked well with the dress (like Alexandra of Kent). I think the problem lies in the positioning of the veil--if it were placed further back it would have looked fine (like Margrethe of Denmark). Or, perhaps a less substantial lace veil would have looked better (like Marie of Denmark, who perfected the lacey look - at least I think so!).
I think that the tiara was too small...it simply disappeared! A more complicated tiara would have probably been too much with the dress, but a softer and more substantial tiara would have, I think, been a better match.
It is a shame that there are not higher quality photos available. As I think this gown would be stunning in real life - something of a work of art!
