Australia's Mary Donaldson delighted royal-watchers and fashionistas alike when she married into Europe's oldest monarchy, opting for a medieval look with a gown by Danish designer Uffe Frank topped off with a veil first used by Crown Princess Margret of Sweden in 1905.
The wedding dress, of ivory duchess satin, featured lily-shaped sleeves, a dramatic, almost off-the-shoulder neckline and panels opening out from the waist to reveal 100-year-old lace. The six-metre train, edged with Chantilly lace from France, made a simple and elegant background for the flowing Irish lace veil.
The veil, together with a handkerchief, two pieces of lace bordering and a fan, was a gift from Princess Margret to her daughter Princess Ingrid, the grandmother of Crown Prince Frederik. She used them at her own wedding in 1935. Some or all of the pieces in the original gift have since been used by Queen Anne-Marie of Greece in 1964, Queen Margrethe of Denmark in 1967, her sister Princess Benedikte in 1968, Princess Alexandra zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg in 1998 and Princess Alexia of Greece in 1999.
Mary's tiara was a gift from Queen Margrethe and her husband Prince Henrik, while her medieval-style drop earrings were specially made for the occasion using platinum with brilliant-cut diamonds and South Sea pearls. The bride also had a lot to say when it came to the design of her gown, working closely with designer Uffe Frank to create her desired effect.
And there was, naturally, an echo of Australia in the ensemble, with crooked-leaved Australian eucalyptus – known as Snow gum – sprinkled among the palace garden's flowers composing her unusual trailing bouquet.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
