When Prince William's bride Kate Middleton arrived for their 2011 royal wedding at Westminster Abbey wearing a gorgeous bespoke dress by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen, it became one of the most memorable moments in royal fashion history. And as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall visited the Royal School of Needlework (RSN) on Wednesday, embroiderer Amanda Ewing, part of the team who made the gown, opened up about the level of secrecy surrounding its creation.
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One of the dress makers behind the Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen wedding gown has opened up about the secrecy surrounding its creation Photo: Getty Images
"We knew who it was for, but it was very secret – we had net curtains up, and cleaners were not allowed into the room and the code on the door was changed," she said. "The dress was all in the news, but nobody knew who was doing it. When you're working, you just focus on it and try not think about what's in the news. But it was an exciting event and everybody loved working on it – it was a once in a lifetime opportunity."
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Embroiderer Amanda Ewing helped create the gown's lace: 'It was a once in a lifetime opportunity,' she said Photo: Getty Images
Duchess Camilla, who took over the RSN patronage from Queen Elizabeth in January, tried her hand at embroidering during her visit, before joking that she would "leave it to the experts".
Meanwhile, Sarah Burton has previously talked to the New York Times Style magazine about designing Kate's wedding ensemble. "I loved making the dress, I loved adapting my ideas to suit the person and the occasion, and we put our hearts into it. I respect the intimate nature of that lovely project and I respect the friendships that were forged during it... an instinctive, intelligent, imaginative young woman's wish for a beautiful wedding dress – or any kind of dress – is the most natural thing in the world."
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