A royal wedding is a marvelous event unlike any other. Being the bride is a seriously big deal. You're in the position to make some serious fashion choices, with prestigious designers at your disposal.
Royal brides are well-aware that you only get to be the bride in a royal wedding once. Some ambitious brides take full advantage and get custom gowns that are jaw-dropping, with prices that are equally stunning.
We don't always get exact numbers for these one-of-a-kind gowns, but over time, informed estimates tend to come out. It's amazing how much some of these brides spent to get the dress of their dreams. And while all these royal marriages didn't end in happily ever afters, it doesn't change the incomparable moment where you get to be a royal bride.
Queen Elizabeth
You might expect Her Majesty to make the list, but her dress is actually one of the less pricey of the bunch. Then-Princess Elizabeth married Philip Mountbatten in 1947, when England was recovering from World War II. Fabric was being rationed, so she collected coupons as anyone else would to make the dress happen.
The dress was created by Norman Hartnell. He used Chinese silk adorned with pearl and diamanté-encrusted star flowers, roses, jasmine blossoms, and wheat. It had a tailored bodice, high neckline, and a 15-foot long train. It cost £30,000 (about $41,000).
Sarah Ferguson
Sarah Ferguson's wedding to Prince Andrew was one for the books. Lindka Cierach created the ivory duchesse satin gown, which featured intricate beadwork. It had a 17-foot-long train embroidered with the initials A and S in silver beads. It's believed to have cost £35,000 ($48,000), according to The Sun.
Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle worked with Clare Waight Keller, a designer for Givenchy, on her gown. The simple wedding gown featured a 16-foot train. The dress reportedly cost £110,000 (about $150,000).
Princess Diana
Princess Diana's iconic wedding dress was truly a sight to see. Designed by friend David Emanuel, the ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown boasted a 25-foot train. The Sun reports it was valued at £151,000 (about $207,000) in 2019.
Princess Eugenie
Princess Eugenie worked with British designers Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos for her October 2018 wedding. She incorporated meaningful motifs into the dress, including a shamrock tribute to her Irish heritage and thistle to signify the couple's love for Balmoral. The dress reportedly cost £200,000 (about $275,000).
Kate Middleton married Prince William in a ivory satin bodiced gown by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. The dress, with 58 buttons covered with gazar and organza on the back fastened with rouleau loops, featured handmade lace created by the Royal School of Needlework and was paired with a jaw-dropping 9-foot-long train. The Duchess of Cambridge's dress was reported to have cost £250,000 (about $343,000).
Queen Letizia of Spain
Queen Letizia of Spain is believed to have spent £6 million ($8.2 million) on the wedding gown she wore when she married King Felipe in 2004. The design by Manuel Pertegaz featured real gold threads in the collar. It also had a nearly 5-yard train.
Queen Soraya of Iran
Queen Soraya of Iran wore a 44-pound dress when she married Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. It was made of 37 yards of silver lamé studded with pearls, 6,000 diamond pieces, and 20,000 marabou feathers. It also had a matching full-length mink cape in case the bride was chilly. No one knows exactly how much Soraya spent on the Christian Dior atelier original. It sold at an auction following her death for $1.2 million.
