Few can forget Kate Middleton walking down the aisle on her father’s arm 13 years ago, dressed impeccably in a stunning, hand-crafted wedding gown designed by Alexander McQueen’s Sarah Burton.

While her wedding dress of course made headlines globally, Kate also wore a second wedding dress at a private reception later that evening that was, according to one royal expert, perhaps more in keeping with how she ‘truly wanted to express herself’. Kate opted to enlist the services of the British-born-and-bred McQueen brand for her Big Day, which according to The Palace at the time was: “For the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing.”

It was also said she wanted a wedding gown that combined: “Tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterises Alexander McQueen’s work.” And while few can forget the elegant French Chantilly and English Cluny lace creation, courtesy of creative director, Sarah Burton (which cost a reported eye-watering £250k) the dress that gained much less exposure, but was arguably just as ‘iconic’ was her evening dress.

The creation was trending on TikTok two years later when a video of the Duchess descending a staircase at Clarence House, at a reception hosted by the late Queen, wearing the stunning creation went viral. Posted by @allacortedi – an account dedicated to all things royal – in August 2022, the video showcased the stunning A-line gown featuring a sweetheart neckline and sparkly waist embellishment.

The look was layered with a cropped white fluffy cardigan showing off her tiny waist. With more than 38,000 likes, users were quick to praise her sartorial prowess. One viewer commented: “So beautiful. Our Queen,” while another said: “She looked SPECTACULAR in this!! 100X better than the first one! It complimented her amazingly athletic body.”

This seems to be a sentiment backed up by stylist and royal fashion expert, Miranda Holder, who explained that some royals like to change into a second wedding dress after the religious ceremony. This allows royal brides to leave behind “formalities” while offering an opportunity to “fully express” themselves.

Speaking to The Express she said: “Having a second option allows these blushing brides a moment to fully express who they really are, how they want to look – and more importantly feel – once the initial formalities of the ceremony and official photographs are over.” And while she said the Princess of Wales ‘continued the formalities’ with her second look,” she said she had “scaled down in terms of grandeur and lost her enormous train.”

She described the evening dress as “Simple and sweet,” and the cardigan as: “Very pretty,” but added: “It feels like she didn’t have the opportunity to relax on this occasion.” However, she did note that a royal wedding dress can often be part of a bigger agenda. Often on these occasions, the first bridal gown is a formality, a family heirloom, a political statement, or part of the larger PR machine that surrounds them,” she said.