Queen Victoria’s Wedding Dress: Breaking and Making Tradition
The white wedding dress, a traditional symbol of marriage in the western world. It’s been a tradition for hundreds and hundreds of years, right? Well, it’s actually a bit more complicated than that. So, let’s take a look at the dress credited as making the white wedding dress popular, the wedding dress worn by Queen Victoria.
In years gone by, unless you were wealthy and could afford it, one would not buy a whole new dress for their wedding, instead, you would simply wear the best dress you already owned. Before the invention of synthetic fabrics and fast fashion, fabric was an expensive commodity throughout history and each person would only own as many items of clothing as they truly required. Perhaps we should look back at history when we moan that we have nothing to wear, yet have an entire wardrobe full of clothes! Your best dress would look different depending on your class and wealth. Those with more money would most likely have a more extravagant dress in more expensive fabrics, perhaps silk and additions of lace in a dyed colour that was popular at that time.
Queen Victoria wedding portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, 1847.
When Queen Victoria ascended to the throne after the death of her uncle in June of 1837, she had only just turned 18 and was a young, naive girl. More importantly, she was unmarried. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that this meant the monarchy wasn’t secure until the new Queen married and produced an heir, but she was in no rush. However, Victoria knew her duty and knew she would soon have to marry if only to stop her government from pressuring her incessantly. Enter, Albert. After several meetings and many letters, Victoria proposed to Albert (who was also her cousin) on the 15th October 1839. They got married a few months later on the 10th February 1840 in the Chapel Royal of St James’s Palace in London.
It was a splendid affair, fit for a Queen, however, it broke many royal wedding traditions. For one, most royal weddings took place in small, private ceremonies in the evening but for Victoria that would not do. She was to be married surrounded by many, during the day where people could see her magnificent bridal procession to St James’s Palace. As a Queen regnant, Victoria should have worn her velvet state robes for her wedding, instead, she chose something simple. A pure white dress. White is a symbol of purity, both spiritual and sexual for just one small scuff or stain is visible, and so by wearing all white Victoria was making a statement. She was saying ‘here I am, pure and young to marry the man I love, like any other young woman’. At this moment she was not a Queen.
Queen Victoria’s wedding dress, Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2020
The dress was made of a heavy cream silk satin and featured Honiton lace. As a Queen of England, Victoria made sure all the materials used in her dress were sourced in England. The silk satin was woven in Spitalfields in London and the handmade lace on her dress was made in Honiton, Devon bringing attention to this intricate craft. She accessorised her look by wearing a diamond necklace and earrings along with a blue sapphire brooch which Albert had gifted to her a day before the wedding. She opted out of wearing a tiara, instead wearing a wreath upon her head over her four yards long veil. Writing in her diary, Victoria wrote of her dress: "I wore a white satin dress, with a deep flounce of Honiton lace, an imitation of an old design. My jewels were my Turkish diamond necklace & earrings & dear Albert's beautiful sapphire brooch."
With herself and her 12 (yes, 12) bridesmaids wearing simple white dresses, Victoria started a new trend in western wedding tradition. Due to the simplicity of the dress, it was easy to replicate and so brides to be who looked to the young Queen for fashion inspiration began to wear white for their weddings too. A young lady, so incredibly in love with her husband and who wanted to show that love to the world, helped change the course of wedding fashion.
