Meghan Markle stuns in pure white silk Givenchy gown and 15ft veil

Meghan Markle stuns in pure white silk Givenchy gown and 15ft veil 



Meghan Markle has surprised everyone by wearing a wedding dress designed by Givenchy's Clare Waight Keller after months of speculation linking her to other designers, such as Erdem, and moved her groom to tears in the stunning classic creation.



An emotional Harry told his bride 'you look amazing' after she wafted down the aisle in the classic silk gown in pure white, with a 15ft veil embroidered with flowers of the Commonwealth.



The veil is made from silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers in silk threads and organza, while the look was completed by a Cartier bracelet and earrings and a Queen Mary diamond bandeau tiara, loaned to her by the Queen.



Meghan chose acclaimed British designer, Clare Waight Keller, 48, from Birmingham, the first female Artistic Director at the historic French fashion house Givenchy to design her dress after meeting in early 2018.



The bespoke creation is estimated to have cost £200,000, including £78,000 for custom-made fabric and £4,000 for fittings.



The pair worked closely together on the design, with Ms. Waight Keller carrying out  extensive research at fabric mills throughout Europe, to develop an exclusive double bonded silk cady especially for Meghan.



Together, the pair decided this was perfect for the round sculptural look required while the soft matt lustre, bonding process and pure white colour bring a fresh modernity to the dress.



In a statement, Ms Waight Keller said: 'It has been an immensely rewarding experience to get to know Meghan on a personal level, one I will forever carry with me. The House of Givenchy joins me in wishing her and Prince Harry every wish of happiness in their future.'

Meghan was said to be impressed by Ms Waight Keller's timeless and elegant aesthetic, impeccable tailoring, and relaxed demeanour and wanted to highlight the success of a leading British talent who has now served as the creative head of three globally influential fashion houses – Pringle of Scotland, Chloé, and now Givenchy.



The result was a dress which epitomises a timeless minimal elegance referencing the codes of the iconic House of Givenchy and showcasing the expert craftsmanship of its world-renowned Parisian couture atelier founded in 1952.





in keeping with the heritage of the house of Givenchy, the 'pure lines' have been created using six meticulously placed seams, and features a graphic open bateau neckline and slender sculpted waist.



The lines of the dress extend towards the back where the train flows in soft round folds cushioned by an underskirt in triple silk organza. The slim three-quarter sleeves add a note of refined modernity.



Meghan's something borrowed: Which tiara did she wear?

Meghan's sparkling tiara is Queen Mary's Diamond Bandeau, which has been loaned to her by Harry's grandmother the Queen.



Royal brides are traditionally loaned priceless heirlooms to wear on their wedding day.



Meghan could have chosen the Spencer tiara - famously worn by Harry's later mother Diana, Princess of Wales when she married the Prince of Wales in 1981.



But Meghan has instead selected this little known piece, which features a magnificent floral-shaped suspended brooch in the centre made of a large round diamond surrounded by nine smaller circular diamonds.



It was specifically made for the Queen's grandmother Queen Mary in 1932 to accommodate the detachable brooch, which was given to Mary as a wedding present in 1893 by the County of Lincoln.



The bandeau is a flexible band of 11 intricate glittering sections, pierced with interlaced ovals and pave set with large and small brilliant diamonds.



The bandeau and the brooch were bequeathed by Queen Mary to her granddaughter the Queen on her death in 1953.





Meghan was eager to incorporate a nod to all 53 countries of the Commonwealth into her special day, and asked for a veil embellished with the distinctive flora of each Commonwealth country united in a single spectacular floral composition.



It's already been established that the Commonwealth family of nations will be a central part of Harry and Meghan's work after the Queen appointed her grandson as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador.



Kensington Palace said that Meghan 'wanted to express her gratitude for the opportunity to support the work of the Commonwealth by incorporating references to its members into the design of her wedding dress'.



Significant time was spent researching the flora of each Commonwealth country while Ms. Waight Keller spent many hours ensuring that every flower is unique.



Lesotho, for example, was represented by a spiral aloe, Bangladesh was symbolised by a white water lily and Grenada had a bougainvillea. Australia was represented by golden wattles, and Nigeria had a yellow trumpet.





England, Wales, Northern Ireland and Scotland were respectively represented by a rose, a daffodil, a flax flower and a thistle.