As the nuptials of our future king and queen whip up a media frenzy, Wed looks at the influence of royal weddings past and present...

A royal wedding elicits a number of responses from us commoners. Some responses stronger than others. You may be excited by the prospect of two seemingly happy, young lovers declaring their love in a ceremony that promises a giant dollop of frothy, fairytale loveliness – the likes of which hasn’t been seen since Charles and Diana tied the knot. You may, in fact, feel so inspired by this occasion that you barely have time to plan your own wedding between stitching your bunting and ordering bun cases for your Union Jack mini muffins. Alternatively, you may not give two hoots what those ‘sponging toffs’ are up to.

Indifference, elation or disdain, no matter your response, the nation is on the verge of media whiteout as the blizzard of newsworthy details about the wedding of Wills and Kate grips the land and sweeps across the globe.



It was ever thus. Before tabloids, pap mags and Twitter afforded us the luxury of a blow-by-blow account of the exploits of Paris Hilton (or other tote-wielding, bling-encrusted, reality ‘stars’), royals were the only celebrities worth following. Of course, there was a time when monarchs possessed divine right, so perhaps all the fuss is justified. And never was there more fuss than that surrounding a regal union: the how, when and in what of a royal wedding can pique the interest of even the most hardened republican because, ultimately, these are among the landmark events that shape our history.

Speculation surrounding the designer, design and… of Kate’s wedding dress has been the… since she first flashed that sparkler to the flashing bulbs of the world’s press. This, and every other detail of the lavish ceremony will influence the nuptial plans of generations of brides to come. One thing is for certain, our future Queen won’t be oblivious to the wedding trends she is about to set. No pressure, Kate.  

Below, you will find the cherry pickings of some of our favourite wedding traditions, arising from trends set by royals throughout the ages…   

Queen Victoria’s white wedding
Queen Victoria was the first monarch to wear a white wedding dress, which was considered frivolous, when she married Prince Albert on 10th February 1840. Western brides, up until Victoria’s statement dress, had always worn coloured gowns that could be used again throughout their lives. The young Queen’s bold choice of a simple, white dress, trimmed with orange flower blossoms and worn with a long, lace veil, was uniquely impractical and started the revolution of the ‘white wedding’.

Thankfully for the make-up industry, Victoria’s preference for a fresh face, untouched by cosmetics, did not remain the norm. The fact is, her public disapproval of make-up, which she considered fit only for actors (or prostitutes), could not compete with the sultry appeal of the seductively painted screen stars of early 20th century moving pictures. Of course, she didn’t need to worry about being photographed in high definition.

Lady Di’s oval sapphire
Unlike Queen Victoria’s determination to bring simplicity to the wedding ceremony, Lady Diana Spencer’s first bridal decision was to introduce a splash of colour. Paving the way for brides of the early ‘80s to break away from the tradition of the diamond solitaire or cluster ring, Diana selected a striking sapphire from Garrard, jewellers to the crown (at the time).

Since being passed on to princess-in-waiting, Kate Middleton, the stunning blue gemstone is set to revive the trend for bold, statement rings. Reproduction costume pieces have started to flood the high street and with many jewellers already seeing increases in sales of sapphires – up to 40% in some cases – it won’t be long until the real pieces are dangling from fashion-conscious brides. 



Prince Leopold’s cake revolution
In the late Victorian era, royal confectioners became increasing accomplished at sugarwork, resulting in some of the most elaborately decorated cakes that had ever been displayed. With each royal wedding, the craftsmanship of the spun sugar and pure white piping developed until it was possible to create candy cupids holding medallions, each depicting the faces of the bride and groom. The multi-tiered constructions could stand up to seven feet high, with the top tiers made entirely of sugar. This was a big improvement on the original ‘bride pie’, which involved layers of sweet meats, sugar and, for entertainment value, the occasional live snake! We can’t see this trend returning anytime soon.

When Queen Victoria’s son, Prince Leopold, wed Princess Helena he presented the first modern wedding cake – three tiers all made of cake, ornately iced in pure white sugar. The young prince, who was friends with Lewis Carroll and reportedly dated Alice, the alleged inspiration behind ‘Alice In Wonderland’, left two great legacies: a bloodline that would directly descend to the Swedish throne and the wedding cake as we know it. The tradition for breaking a grain cake over the heads of the happy couple for fertility has long since died out, but the superstition of cutting the cake has grown significantly with the advent of photography.

White weddings, engagement rings and three-tiered cakes – all staples of the modern bride’s agenda and all thanks to the developments of the finest craftspeople royalty can buy. What will the next big trend be? We don’t have to wait long to find out.

words Charity Wilson
illustrations Yvonne Hacon

Copyright WED Magazine 2011