The Most Iconic Royal Bridal Looks, Recreated

Royal fashion is already in a league all its own, and this is especially true when it comes to royal wedding fashion. From wedding and reception dresses, to engagement and wedding guest outfits, every royal affair now doubles as a full-blown fashion show. The ladies of these aristocratic families are the actual princesses who have inspired countless princess-style gowns—including their own.

That’s right, even royals themselves have turned to their fellow royals’ past looks when dreaming up their bridal vision, and with the amount of iconic outfits we’ve seen over the years, we can’t say we blame them. Whether it’s Meghan Markle nodding to Princess Diana with her halter reception dress, or Kate Middleton modeling her wedding gown after Grace Kelly’s, the similarities are undeniable. Here are the most iconic royal wedding looks, recreated.

Grace Kelly & Kate Middleton’s Wedding Dresses

The lace bodice of Kate Middleton’s wedding dress drew obvious comparisons to the gown worn by Grace Kelly during her wedding to Prince Rainier III of Monaco in 1956. In fact, Solstiss, one of the companies who produced the majority of the lace used on Kate’s dress, also provided the lace for Grace’s. Kate’s gown, which was designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, can be regarded as a more modern version of the late Princess Grace’s iconic bridal look designed by Helen Rose of MGM.

Princess Victoria of Sweden & Princess Charlene of Monaco's Wedding Dresses

Worn just one year apart, Princess Charlene of Monaco and Princess Victoria of Sweden both donned folded, off-the-shoulder necklines during their weddings. Additionally, both dresses were made of satin. Princess Charlene—who wed Prince Albert II in 2011—wore a dress designed by Giorgio Armani that featured mother-of-pearl and Swarovski crystal. Princess Victoria’s gown—worn during her 2010 wedding to Daniel Westling—had a full skirt, an over 15-foot long train, and was designed by Swedish designer Pär Engsheden.

Princess Anne & Queen Maxima of the Netherlands’ Wedding Dresses

The Valentino gown Queen Maxima wore during her 2002 wedding to King Willem-Alexander was a modern version of the Maureen Baker dress Princess Anne wore when she married her first husband, Mark Phillips, in 1973. Both gowns feature a high collar neckline and long sleeves, though the style of the sleeves are notably different. The two royal brides also had similar hair and veil styles.

Princess Diana’s Dress Worn to a D.C. Fundraiser & Meghan Markle’s Wedding Reception Dress

After tying the knot with Prince Harry in a custom Givenchy gown, Meghan Markle changed into a slim-fitting halter dress—designed by Stella McCartney—for their reception. This party-perfect dress was similar to a lace number Princess Diana wore to a Washington D.C. fundraising event in 1996. What’s even better, is that Meghan completed her reception look with an aquamarine ring that used to belong to Diana herself. What a wonderful tribute!

Princess Diana & Kate Middleton’s Engagement Announcement Dresses

Though not identical, Kate Middleton absolutely channeled her late mother-in-law Princess Diana with her engagement announcement dress worn in 2010. Both women wore blue midi-length outfits with simple black shoes during the photo ops for their respective milestone announcements, while their husbands-to-be sported clean and classic suits. Considering William was the first of Diana’s two sons to get married, and that he’s heir to the throne behind his father, it was a special opportunity to honor family tradition and William’s mother.

Queen Mathilde of Belgium & Princess Märtha Louise of Norway’s Wedding Dresses

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway’s 2002 bridal look, created by Norwegian designer Wenche Lyche, was a two-piece set consisting of a dress with a coat worn on top. Though a coat wedding dress may not be something we see everyday, it was not the first time a royal wore it for their wedding. In 1999, the now Queen Mathilde of Belgium sported a similar look, designed by Edouard Vermeulen of the Belgian design house, Natan. Not only did both brides have a two-piece coat dress, but both of their coats featured prominent, tall collars.

Kate Middleton & Princess Sofia of Sweden’s Wedding Dresses

Kate Middleton has not only replicated many iconic royal looks, but she’s also served as inspiration for other royals’ outfits! The Ida Sjöstedt dress Princess Sofia wore when she married Prince Carl Philip of Sweden in 2015 bore a clear resemblance to Kate’s Alexander McQueen wedding gown worn four years prior. Both gorgeous dresses featured lace long sleeves and a V-neckline sewn on top of a sweetheart neckline seen beneath.

Queen Elizabeth’s Dress Worn to a ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ Showing & Princess Beatrice’s Wedding Dress

In an incredibly sweet gesture, Princess Beatrice sourced her wedding dress from her grandmother’s own closet. Beatrice of course made some tweaks—including adding organza sleeves—to make the vintage Norman Hartnell dress her own, but there’s no mistaking the fact that the dress is the same. The Queen can be seen wearing the gown at a showing of the film Lawrence of Arabia in 1962.

Princess Diana Dress Worn to Dinner in France & Kate Middleton’s Wedding Reception Dress

Kate wore two outfits on her wedding day, the second of which closely resembled a look worn by Princess Diana in 1988. Like her wedding dress, Kate’s reception dress was also designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen. The newly married Duchess topped the satin gown with an ivory-colored shrug, just as Diana did when attending a dinner in France during the late ‘80s.

Grace Kelly & Kitty Spencer's Wedding Dresses

Kate Middleton isn’t the only royal to be influenced by Grace Kelly’s wedding dress. 65 years after the former movie star walked down the aisle, Lady Kitty Spencer—Princess Diana’s niece—wore a Grace Kelly-inspired gown when marrying Michael Lewis in 2021. The Dolce & Gabbana dress featured lace long sleeves and a high collar, as well as a cinched waist and cascading skirt. Who wouldn’t want to look like the former Princess of Monaco?

Princess Nina of Greece and Denmark’s & Princess Eugenie’s Wedding Dresses

Princess Nina and Prince Philippos of Greece and Denmark officially married in an intimate ceremony in December 2020, but due to Covid-19 restrictions, waited until the following October to have a much larger celebration. For the big day, the newlywed Princess wore an off-the-shoulder, deep V-neck Chanel dress quite similar to the one worn by Princess Eugenie during her 2018 nuptials. Princess Eugenie was actually one the guests in attendance at Nina and Philippos’ 2021 royal affair—we wonder if she noticed the resemblance.