Nothing brings the nation together quite like a royal wedding, and in particular, the frenzy that comes with the reveal of a royal bride’s dress.
From Princess Diana’s puffball sleeve design to the anticipation of Princess Eugenie’s dress, the last 100 years has seen an array of absolutely gorgeous gowns. However, according to new research conducted by JD Williams, there’s one that clearly comes out on top – in the public’s opinion at least.

The Duchess of Cambridge’s romantic lace gown, designed by Sarah Burton, creative director of Alexander McQueen, has been voted the best royal wedding dress of the last 100 years, with 34% of the vote. Kate’s long-sleeved dress sparked hundreds of replicas, and elements of it are still seen in trends seven years after she tied the knot with Prince William.
Closely behind was Princess Diana’s ivory silk taffeta and antique lace dress, which came complete with a 25-foot train – 18% of those surveyed named this as their favourite.

Grace Kelly of Monaco came in third, with 13% of the vote, followed by Lady Sarah Chatto in 1994. The least popular dresses were those worn by Fergie and Princess Anne, who received 2% and 0% of the vote respectively.
However, the survey of 1,000 women aged 45+ was issued before the most recent royal bride Meghan Markle walked down the aisle to wed Prince Harry in her elegant boat-neck Givenchy gown – so who knows what the outcome might have been if Meghan had been in the mix?

JD Williams previously reported that after Meghan’s dress was unveiled in May 2018, sales of boat and Bardot necklines soared by an impressive 41%.
Suzi Burns from the brand said: ‘We’re excited to see Eugenie’s dress to see how the public reacts to it. Our customers were inspired by Meghan’s bardot style back in May, however Eugenie’s style has often divided the nation, so it will be interesting to see our customers response.’
The best royal wedding dresses of the last 100 years
Kate Middleton, 2011 (34%)

Princess Diana, 1981 (18%)

Grace Kelly of Monaco, 1956 (13%)

Lady Sarah Chatto, 1994 (12%)

Queen Elizabeth, 1923 (10%)

Princess Margaret, 1960 (7%)

Camilla Parker Bowles, 2005 (4%)

Fergie, 1986 (2%)

Princess Anne, 1973 (0%)
