If you watched the royal wedding in the comfort of your home like I did, you might have missed out on some of the amazing details that went into the creation of such a beautiful day in history. Now you can visit an exhibit at Buckingham Palace that has been centered around the royal wedding artifacts.
There aren’t many wedding dresses that I would pay to visit but when I heard Kate Middleton’s dress was on display, I was immediately intrigued. Her dress was designed by Sara Burton for Alexander McQueen and although any television viewer could tell it was beautiful; in person it is even more magnificent. What you will see in person is the beautiful craftsmanship that went into the dress and the details that are sewn onto the dress like lace flowers, gazar buttons that cascade from the collar to the waist of the gown and the clever paneling on the back of the ball-gown so the dress would stay in place as Kate walked down the aisle.
Kate’s attire definitely stole the show and in addition to her dress is her “something borrowed,” a 1936 Cartier tiara that was given on loan to Kate by the Queen and contains 1,000 sparkling diamonds. Her shoes, which were also hand-stitched with lace and designed by Sara Burton of Alexander McQueen, are a size 7.5. Her diamond earrings are available for viewing, given to Kate by her parents; they hold little acorns that are meant to show the Middleton family’s new “coat of arms.”
As if the dress and tiara weren’t enough, a silk replica of Kate’s bouquet has been recreated which includes the same flowers; sweet William, myrtle, lily of the valley, and hyacinth. Her wedding cake has been preserved, with the top three layers being replicas because two layers are saved for the couples first child’s christening. The bottom tier of the cake still has the first cut which was marked by the couple using a ceremonial sword.
The exhibit opened last Friday with the Queen and Kate in attendance and a reported 107 percent surge in tour sales. The celebration of the royal wedding can now continue while spectators view a day that has literally been frozen in time.
