Sketches reveal hidden details of Meghan Markle’s wedding veil
FashionIt doesn’t even need to be said at this point, but we’ll say it anyway: Meghan Markle wowed us all when she arrived at the royal wedding.
That simple, elegant dress. That bun. The way she looked at Prince Harry.
And, of course, that veil.
At five metres long, the veil is quite the statement piece, giving a subtle nod to Diana’s extra-long train on her wedding.
Now, sketches from Claire Waight Keller have revealed more of the hidden details of the veil, along with details of how it was created.
Kensington Palace has confirmed that Meghan asked to have all 53 countries of the Commonwealth represented on her veil, with each country’s flowers hand-embroidered in silk threads and organza.
Workers from Givenchy spent hundreds of hours sewing the designs, washing their hands every thirty minutes to keep the tulle and threads pristine. Each flower had to be unique and detailed.
The majority of the flowers trailed the back of the veil.
For the the front, Meghan had selected two favourites: Wintersweet, which grows in the grounds of Kensington Palace in front of Nottingham Cottage, and the Calfornia poppy, the state flower of California, where Meghan was born. Sweet.
Here’s the full list of every flower embroidered on to the veil, in case you’re curious or it ever comes up on a pub quiz.
Every flower embroidered on Meghan Markle’s veil:
AFRICA:
- Botswana – Ear of Sorghum and Cat’s Claw (Uncaria tomentosa)
- Cameroon – Red Stinkwood (Prunus africana)
- Gambia – White Variety Orchid
- Ghana – Caladium (Caladium)
- Kenya – The Tropical Orchid
- Lesotho – Spiral Aloe (Aloe polyphylla)
- Malawi – Lotus (Nymphea lotus)
- Mauritius – Trochetia Boutoniana
- Mozambique – Maroon Bell Bean (Markhamia zanzibarica)
- Namibia – Welwitschia (Welwitschia mirabilis)
- Nigeria – Yellow Trumpet (Costus spectabilis)
- Rwanda – Torch Lily (Kniphofia uvaria)
- Seychelles – Tropicbird orchid (Angraecum eburnum)
- Sierra Leone – Scadoxus (Scadoxus cinnabarinus)
- South Africa – Protea (Protea cynaroides)
- Swaziland – Fire Heath (Erica cerinthoides)
- Uganda – Desert rose (Adenium obesum)
- United Republic of Tanzania – African violet (Saintpaulia)
- Zambia – Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea)
ASIA:
- Bangladesh – White Water Lily ( Sada shapla)
- Brunei Darussalam – Simpor (Dillenia suffruticosa)
- India – Indian Lotus (Nelumbo nucifers gaertn)
- Malaysia – Bunga Raya Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa sinensis)
- Pakistan – Jasmine (Jasminum officinale)
- Singapore – Vanda miss Joaquim Orchid (Miss Joaquim)
- Sri Lanka – Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea nouchali)
CARIBBEAN & AMERICAS:
- Antigua and Barbuda – Agave (Agave karatto)
- Bahamas – Yellow Elder (Tecoma stans)
- Barbados – The pride of Barbados (Caesalpinia pulcherrima)
- Belize – The Black Orchid (Encyclia cochleata)
- Canada – Bunchberry (Cornus canadensis)
- Dominica – Carib Wood (Sabinea carinalis)
- Grenada – Bougainvillea (Nyctaginaceae)
- Guyana – Victoria Regia Water Lily (Victoria amazonica)
- Jamaica – Lignum Vitae (Guiacum officinale)
- Saint Lucia – The rose and the marguerite
- St Kitts and Nevis – Poinciana (Delonix regia )
- St Vincent & the Grenadines – Soufriere Tree (Spachea perforatais)
- Trinidad & Tobago – Chaconia (Warszewiczia coccinea)
EUROPE:
- Cyprus – Cyclamen Cyprium (Cyclamen cyprium)
- Malta – Maltese centaury (Cheirolophus crassifolius
UNITED KINGDOM:
- England – Rose
- Wales – Daffodil (Narcissus)
- Northern Ireland – Flax flower
- Scotland – Thistle
PACIFIC:
- Australia – Golden wattles (Acacia pycnantha)
- Fiji – Tagimaucia (Medinilla waterhousei)
- Kiribati – Bidens Kiribatiensis
- Nauru – Calophyllum
- New Zealand – Kowhai (Sophora microphylla)
- Papua – Sepik Blue Orchid (Dendrobium lasianthera)
- Samoa – Teuila (Alpinia purpurata)
- Solomon Islands – Hibiscus (Hibiscus)
- Tonga – Heilala (Garcinia sessilis)
- Tuvalu – Plumeria (Plumeria frangipans)
- Vanuatu – Anthurium (Anthurium)
The wedding dress: Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy
The designer
Ms. Meghan Markle’s wedding dress has been designed by the acclaimed British designer, Clare Waight Keller. Ms. Waight Keller last year became the first female Artistic Director at the historic French fashion house Givenchy.
After meeting Ms. Waight Keller in early 2018, Ms. Markle chose to work with her for her timeless and elegant aesthetic, impeccable tailoring, and relaxed demeanour. Ms. Markle also 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.
Ms. Markle and Ms. Waight Keller worked closely together on the design. The dress 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.
The Design
True to the heritage of the house, the pure lines of the dress are achieved using six meticulously placed seams. The focus of the dress is the graphic open bateau neckline that gracefully frames the shoulders and emphasises the 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.
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