This is a continuation of our Wedding Gown post from three weeks ago. Today we’ll look at royal gowns with coats, capes and wraps, in the sub-category of second (and in one case, third) weddings.
Bride: Camilla Parker-Bowles
Designer: Robinson Valentine
This gown was worn at the 2005 ceremonial wedding blessing of Mrs. Parker-Bowles and Prince Charles. Since it was a second wedding gown, it makes sense that the ensemble was not traditionally white or traditionally bridal. Instead, it was a departure, and a lovely one at that. Camilla wore a blue chiffon dress under a blue and gold damask coat, embroidered at the neckline and edged in more contrasting gold. She accessorized with a dramatic spray of a hat by Philip Treacy and small bouquet. Click through to see some shots of the civil wedding ensemble. Two coat dresses for the price of one!
Bride: Lilian Craig
Designer: Elizabeth Wondrak
The bride was 61, and her groom, Prince Bertil of Sweden, was 64. If you are not familiar with their romance, it’s definitely worth a trip back to Order of Splendor to read up. Both the bride and groom were utterly charming, and had a long back story that is worthy of a romance novel. For their long awaited wedding, Lilian engaged Elizabeth Wondrak, a designer who had worked with her before, and the result was a coat dress done up in ice blue shantug, which featured bell sleeves and an a-line skirt. She carried lilies of the valley, and wore pearl and diamond jewelry. Lilian, who as a former actress had a dramatic flair, also wore a wreath of blue feathers in her hair.
Bride: Farah Diba
Designer: Yves Saint Laurent for Dior
It is not accurate to say this was a second wedding. It was the bride’s first wedding (she was only 21!), and the groom’s third trip down the altar. For our purposes, though, this will be shoe-horned into this category. Saint Laurent designed a dress that had a scoop neck, which is obscured in most photos by the coat that tied over the chest. The embroidery on the coat and dress contained Persian motifs, and included sequins, imitation pearls, and silver thread. Although it’s hard to tell from contemporary photos, the train also featured a fur-lined hem. The bride iced it up with the fabulous Noor-ol-ain tiara and a diamond necklace. Truly a sumptuous gown, and a dazzling overall ensemble.
We can’t leave without giving a nod to other notable second and third wedding outings that are coat-adjacent, but really more just standard suit fare. For her second wedding to Commander Timothy Laurence in 1992 at Crathie Kirk, Princess Anne wore a cream suit over a high neck jacket, and accessorized with a spray of blossoms in her hair. For her third wedding to Prince Ernst August of Hanover, Princess Caroline wore a Chanel suit. The wedding was conducted privately in 1999.
