Meghan Discusses Empowering Women: "There is No Better Time to Shine a Light on Women"

Meghan joined Prince Harry and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for the first annual Royal Foundation Forum in the Auditorium at the offices of Aviva, London.

It marks the first time the foursome carried out an official engagement together.

The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry was legally established by the Princes in September 2009 and became fully operational in 2011. The Duchess of Cambridge officially became a patron in 2011; it is their main vehicle to pursue their charitable and philanthropic interests. At present, the core priorities are mental health, young people the armed forces and conservation.

It's incredibly exciting to see Meghan present today. In May, she will become the fourth patron of the Foundation and will add her own interests and charities. Meghan's previous philanthropic work included women's advocacy, gender-equality, clean water initiatives children, poverty and health.

In a statement the Foundation praised Meghan's "drive and commitment":

"We are delighted to welcome Meghan to the Foundation. She has always shown great drive and compassion for making a difference in the world, and we are excited to embark on important projects together. Together we use the passion and unique influence of our Patrons to change mindsets and make a lasting difference on the issues that matter to them and to society. We never begin a project thinking we have the answer. From day one, the Foundation was built with an open door, and whatever we do, we invite the best and brightest to sit with us around the table to help find solutions. We don’t just help raise awareness about issues, but aim to truly change attitudes and make a lasting difference to communities in the U.K. and abroad."

Meghan has already had the opportunity to see two of its projects in action. For her first engagement in Nottingham, Meghan learned about the Full Effect programme Prince Harry established in 2013. The programme supports children and young people in an effort to prevent their involvement in youth violence and crime through a combination of early intervention, mentorship, and training. Earlier this month, she joined Harry for the Endeavour Fund Awards, which offers seed funding for sporting and adventure challenges, and helps emerging initiatives with advice, hands-on support and mentoring. Meghan privately joined Harry on the judging panel of the Endeavour Fund to consider submissions.

Speaking ahead of the event chief executive Lorraine Heggessey told Sky News it's significant that the four of them have chosen to promote their joint charity work together.

She said: "What's important to all three of their royal highnesses at the moment and Ms Meghan Markle is that this generation of the royal family is seen to work together collectively to make a difference and make a significant impact on the issues that matter both to them as individuals and matter to them collectively and to society.

"I think for Ms Markle she just naturally had synergy and you know understood that idea, it resonated with her and we're now researching, very early stages areas of interest and themes that might develop for her in the future".

The theme of the day, 'Making a Difference Together', focuses on showcasing successful programmes run by the Foundation including the successful mental health campaign Heads Together and Prince Harry's inspiring Invictus Games.

William, Kate, Harry and Meghan appeared on stage to discuss the Foundation in the presence of an audience made up of invited guests, supporters of the Royal Foundation, and programme partners and beneficiaries. You can watch a full video including an hour of the forum below.

Prince William opened by welcoming Meghan: "Catherine, Harry and I are delighted to be here this morning and we're particularly happy it is our first Royal Foundation event with Meghan." Kate smiled and turned to Meghan before giving her a round of applause.

Host Tina Daheley asked Meghan about her impression of the Royal Foundation so far. "Obviously it's incredibly exciting and yes I think for me it's been a very long time working on cause driven works specifically with women and girls rights. To see the model of the foundation is really interesting. While I've worked with larger NGOs, I've also worked with small grass roots organisations where you can see a higher level of impact in my opinion because there's a lot less red tape. What you see here and what I noticed with Heads Together from a global perspective was the power of convening all of these smaller organisations who have the same issues but need this extra push and support under this umbrella. You're able to achieve that and the impact they all made with Heads Together was tremendous. I'm very excited to work on initiatives similarly that can have that same sort of impact globally".

Speaking about her work supporting women Meghan said:

'For me it's very important, once you hit the ground running, even if you're doing it quietly behind the scenes, which is what I've focused my energy on thus far is meeting with the right people, meeting with the right organisations behind-the-scenes quietly, learning as much as I can so we I can maximise the opportunity we have and really make an impact. I think what's really interesting when I hear people speak about girls empowerment is finding and knowing their worth.

You'll often hear people say 'Well you're helping women find their voices' and I fundamentally disagree with that because women don't need to find a voice. They have a voice. They need to feel empowered to use it and people need to be encouraged to listen. I think right now in the climate we're seeing with so many campaigns; MeToo and Times Up, there is no better time than to really continue to shine a light on women feeling empowered and women really helping to support them in that. Men included. It makes such a tremendous difference.

Meghan added: "I guess we wait a couple of months and then we can hit the ground running but up until then I'm pretty excited". Meghan said she couldn't reveal more on the work she's been doing yet. "Sadly I can't. Harry and I see the world so similarly in our approach, being very hands on with things. What I can say is I've been so fortunate to meet with incredible women and organisations in the UK, but also knowing some of the work I've done in the past has been in Commonwealth countries like India and Rwanda, so this reach can have some really nice legs to it once we get started."

A couple of lighter moments from the Mail Online:

'The young Royals showed their softer side at the foundation forum today when joking about the challenges of working together as a family. After being asked by presenter Tina Daheley if the 'ever have disagreements' William immediately burst into laughter before responding with a drawn out 'Ohhhh yes'. Harry was quick to clarify they were 'healthy disagreements' and joked they 'come so thick and fast' when asked what the last thing they quarrelled on was.

William continued the banter, quipping: 'Is it resolved? We don't know!' But Harry steered the topic back towards the serious message, adding: 'I think it's really good we have got four different personalities and we all have that same passion to make a difference. 'We have different opinions and they work really well [together]. Working as family does have its challenges; of course it does. [I think] the fact that everybody is laughing shows they know 'exactly' what's it like. But we are stuck together for the rest of our lives. Meghan added: 'Togetherness at it's finest' 

Presenter Tina Daheley said the impact had been huge and 'changed the national conversation around mental health' before asking them if they expected such a result.

William quickly said 'No, as an answer' before Harry quipped: 'It was organised on the back of a fag packet. It really was. But William quickly brought the subject back to a serious nature, adding the Duchess of Cambridge was key to its development. He said: 'Catherine was the one who joined the dots up and came up with the idea and the concept. Harry and I had never thought about doing a campaign before and when it comes to mental health it was very difficult to know where to start. 'It's such a big issue and it is so entrenched in society in a negative way, sadly.

The royals watched several videos on initiatives.

Harry said he is proud Meghan is joining the effort.

Meghan met guests.

Journalist Bryony Gordan shared a hug with Meghan. During Heads Together, Harry spoke candidly to Bryony about the effect losing his mother had on his life.

Meghan looked effortlessly stylish in the Belted Satin Wrap Dress by Jason Wu. The sleek belt secures the wrapped waist of the trench-inspired dress sewn from an elegantly draped crepe-back satin.

More from the product description:

'After his Resort '18 show at the Fulton Market Building in Manhattan, Jason Wu confirmed that he is infusing his hyper-feminine designs with a new, casual sensibility. Modeled on the day, this sleeveless wrap dress is tailored from fluid navy satin and belted for definition - although you can also wear it unfastened over trousers.'

The dress is available in several sizes at Net-A-Porter and Nordstrom for £1,415 (with thanks to Meghan's Fashion).

Meghan teamed the dress with the Aquazzura Casablanca multi-strap suede pumps (with thanks to Perth Fashion). Crafted in Italy with a slender point toe and mid-high stiletto heel, and punctuated with a multi-strand ankle strap that secures with an oversized buckle.

Meghan accessorised with the £65 Isabel Marant Enameled gold-tone hoop earrings (with thanks to Meghan's Mirror).

And her Birks stackable ring.

The Duchess wore a blue Seraphine dress; to read more about Kate's appearance, pop over to Duchess Kate.

It was excellent to see Meghan present today. She's obviously learned so much in the three short months since the engagement. As previously reported, she's been very busy working behind the scenes. Royal reproter Emily Andrews aptly summed up Meghan's appearance: "Passionate, self-possessed and clearly loving her new role. Very self-composed and articulate, she name-checked #metoo & #timesup. Clearly a woman very much in control and wanting to make a difference." Her words on supporting women and the Commonwealth are very likely signs of exciting things to come.Watch this space...

Did you enjoy the first Foundation Forum?

Harry and Meghan to Visit Birmingham on International Women's Day!

Continuing with their pre-wedding tour of the UK, Kensington Palace confirmed Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will visit Birmingham on Thursday, 8th March, International Women's Day.

The day will fittingly begin with an event at Millennium Point to celebrate International Women's Day, which aims to inspire the next generation of young women to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths (STEM). Prince Harry and Ms. Markle will join the young women as they take part in building apps and touchpads, before hearing more about their motivations to pursue STEM subjects.

This engagement will have very much been planned with Meghan's advocacy work for women in mind. I first became interested in blogging about Meghan when I saw the stirring speech she gave on International Women's Day 2015 at the UN International Women's Conference.

During the powerful speech, she said:

'UN Women, as you guys know, has defined the year 2030 as the expiration date for gender inequality. And here’s what’s staggering, the studies show that at the current rate, the elimination of gender inequality won’t be possible until 2095. That’s another eighty years from now. And when it comes to women’s political participation and leadership the percentage of female parliamentarians globally has only increased by 11% since 1995. 11 percent in 20 years? Come on. This has to change. Women make up more than half of the world’s population and potential, so it is neither just nor practical for their voices, for our voices, to go unheard at the highest levels of decision-making.

The way we change that, in my opinion, is to mobilize girls and women to see their value as leaders, and to support them in these efforts. To have leaders such as President Kagame of Rwanda continue to be a role model of a country which has a parliamentary system comprised of 64% female leaders. I mean, it’s the highest of any government in the world and it’s unbelievable. 

Women need a seat at the table, they need an invitation to be seated there, and in some cases, where this is not available, well then you know what, they need to create their own table. We need a global understanding that we cannot implement change effectively without women’s political participation.'

Prince Harry and Ms. Markle will then visit Nechells Wellbeing Centre to join Birmingham's Coach Core apprentices as they take part in a training masterclass led by Create Development. The Coach Core apprenticeship scheme was designed by The Royal Foundation of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry to train young people aged 16 - 24 with limited opportunities to become sports coaches and mentors within their communities.

Reminder: We'll see Meghan on Wednesday when she joins William, Kate and Harry to take part in the first annual Royal Foundation Forum. The foursome will appear on stage together to discuss why The Royal Foundation was set up, the projects they are currently working on, and their ambitions for the future. The theme of the day is 'Making a Difference Together'. Meghan will formally become the fourth patron of the Royal Foundation after the wedding.

Meghan To Discuss Royal Foundation Next Week & The Met Investigate Racist Hate Crime!

Good afternoon! We're back with news on Meghan's next official engagement and a round up of several stories from the week.

Meghan to Discuss the Royal Foundation... Next Wednesday, 28 February, Meghan will join William, Kate and Harry to take part in the first annual Royal Foundation Forum at the offices of the Aviva, London. It will mark the first time the foursome has carried out an official engagement together. All four will appear on stage together to discuss why The Royal Foundation was set up, the projects they are currently working on, and their ambitions for the future.

More from the press release:

'Under the theme ‘Making a Difference Together,’ the event will showcase the programmes run or initiated by The Royal Foundation, and will include a number of delegates who have been involved in key projects. The Royal Foundation's programmes to date include Heads Together, the Invictus Games, and United for Wildlife.

Launched in 2011, The Royal Foundation was set up by the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry as the main vehicle to pursue their charitable and philanthropic interests. Once the Duchess of Cambridge became Patron, Their Royal Highnesses established a key focus of working together, as well as convening others to help tackle society's biggest challenges.'

Meghan will officially become the fourth patron of the Royal Foundation after the wedding in May. Her appearance at the Forum suggests she is already very well informed, I imagine it's possible Meghan will discuss her own hopes for its future and plans to include her own charitable interests. It should be a very interesting engagement!

A Date Night at Hamilton... Last Friday night, Harry and Meghan enjoyed a post-Valentine's date night at the Victoria Palace Theatre - just two miles from their home at Kensington Palace - for a performance of Hamilton.

More from E!

'E! News can confirm Harry and Meghan surprised the cast when they showed up to watch the Broadway hit at London's West End Theatre on Friday night. In fact, one of the cast members took to Twitter to express how proud she was.

"Was an honour to have Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in to watch @HamiltonWestEnd last night," Leslie Garcia Bowman wrote.

The Director of West End confirmed to E! News the pair enjoyed a private visit. Funnily enough, the play pokes fun at Harry's ancestor King George III, while telling the story of Alexander Hamilton and the founding fathers of America.'

Commenter Upstate Diva reminded me Meghan saw Hamilton in New York in 2016 with friend Priyanka Chopra. It must be a favourite of hers.

It's good to hear the couple can enjoy an evening out in London privately. The cast were reportedly delighted to have them there and according to onlookers they appeared to have a fantastic evening.

A Tour of Australia and New Zealand... We recently discussed reports about Harry and Meghan's participation in the upcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The always reliable Roya Nikkhah offered additional insight in her piece for The Sunday Times:

'Prince Harry will take on an official leadership role with the Commonwealth in a bid to attract new generations to the organisation. In a significant boost to his ­position within the royal family — and in an effort to cement the ­monarchy’s ties to the member nations — Harry is expected formally to accept a new role at the Commonwealth heads of government meeting in London, which will run from April 16 to 20.

Senior royal sources confirmed that the prince will play a leading part at the summit, which is to be hosted by the Queen. She has been head of the Common­wealth since her coronation in 1953. Heads of all the 53 member nations are expected to attend. Harry, 33, is keen to carve out a distinct role for himself after his marriage in May to the American former actress Meghan Markle­, 36, and he sees a Commonwealth ­position as a fitting tribute to his grandmother’s legacy.

It is thought there is already agreement among the Com­mon­wealth heads for Harry to adopt a “youth ­leadership” role and he is expec­ted to speak at the summit’s Commonwealth Youth Forum.'

This is very exciting news as an official Commonwealth role could see the couple undertaking a number of trips abroad and building initiatives and projects with links to the UK. During the engagement interview Meghan said “There is so much work to do in the Commonwealth.” It's obviously been in the planning for some months, the couple are clearly keen to carve out their own identity within the firm and want to lend their support to strengthening the monarchy's ties around the world.

We know the couple will travel to Sydney in October for the Invictus Games. Roya reports they are currently looking into expanding the trip from a one week visit to a full royal tour of Australia and New Zealand.

'In October the couple will visit Sydney for the Invictus Games and royal sources have indicated plans to expand the trip into an official tour of Australia and New Zealand.' 

Fashion Updates... Next, we have several fashion related updates to share. Meghan's gorgeous Strathberry East/West Mini is now available for pre-order with shipping in April. It's excellent to see the boost Meghan carrying their bags has given the Scottish business.

Meghan's P.A.R.O.S.H. engagement dress is now available in an array of colors at FarFetch. The $426 Bow Shift Dress features a sleeveless design, a round neck, a fitted silhouette knee length, a back zip fastening, a back slit at hem and a stretch fit. Below, the dress in navy, light blue and a lighter green than Meghan's.

The dress also comes in pink, white and red.

And the lovely Laura shared news the Armani Cutout Trousers Meghan wore in Vanity Fair are now in stock at Net-A-Porter.

Meghan in Racist Threat Terror... We conclude today's post on a very worrying note. Scotland Yard has confirmed they are investigating after a letter containing white powder purporting to be anthrax was sent to Meghan. The Evening Standard reports "The letter, addressed to her and fiancé Prince Harry and understood to contain a racist message, led to a security scare, with specialists rushed in to check the powder. Measures already in place meant the package was intercepted before it reached the couple. Meghan and Harry are understood to have been informed. Officers from the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism command were called in after the letter was received on February 12. It was delivered to St James’s Palace for sorting. Analysis of the powder found it was harmless."

It is both incredibly concerning and saddening to hear Meghan is receiving racist, abusive and threatening letters. For anyone active on social media, this will unfortunately come as no surprise. I've mentioned before, the level of abuse aimed at her is nothing short of horrific. Racism is absolutely rife - both blatant and veiled. It must be hugely difficult for her to contend with this in addition to all the major life changes she's experiencing, and of course to know abhorrent individuals are taking the time to post vile letters. I believe there's so much that needs to be done online and especially on social media to police this in an effective manner. It is unacceptable and cannot be swept under the carpet and allowed to continue.

Just as I was about to hit publish on this post, news came in it has been officially confirmed the Met Police are treating it as a "racist hate crime".

Royal Wedding: Five Iconic Royal Wedding Gowns

In our last Royal Wedding post, we began chatting about 'the Gown' and looked at bridal designers Meghan loves. Today, we're switching gears and focusing on five iconic royal brides throughout the decades. What designers have they favoured? Are there commonalities between the choices? How does protocol dictate one's choice? How have the most iconic royal gowns over the decades stood the test of time?

Princess Elizabeth

When Princess Elizabeth married Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey over 70 years ago, her gown was precisely as impressively opulent as one would expect for the future queen. Designer Norman Hartnell tasked himself with creating the "most beautiful dress" he had ever made when he secured the coveted commission. Indeed, with rationing still in effect, the Princess used her coupons to acquire material for the gown. Interestingly, women all over the country sent her coupons, but she had to return them as it would have been illegal to use them.

The royal couturier looked to renaissance art and roamed through galleries for symbols as he sought inspiration to create a gown fit for a future monarch in post World War II Britain. The train of the gown, symbolic of rebirth and growth after the war, was stated to be inspired by Botticelli's 1482 painting of Primavera, particularly the elaborate embroidery motifs of scattered flowers on the rich satin dress and the tulle veil worn by the royal bride.

The designs for the dress were approved three months before the wedding. A striking element of the final design was the use of ivory silk with flower patterns of jasmine, smilax, lilac and white rose-like blossoms added to the train, embellished with white crystals and pearls. The silk cloth was chosen at the specific directive of her mother, who desired an "unusually rich, lustrous stiff satin which was made at Lullingstone Castle". Satin was chosen for the train, and a more flexible material of the same tone as the train was chosen for the dress. The final design was kept secret, although much speculation surrounded it. On the wedding day, the dress glittered - bejewelled with pearls "skilfully combined with flowing lines of wheat ears, the symbol of fertility, and worked in pearl and diamante". Hartnell more than fulfilled his brief; seven decades later the gown is a testament to exquisite craftsmanship and one of the best-loved royal wedding gowns of all time.

Princess Grace

When Hollywood's leading lady Grace Kelly found her prince, the world looked on as the real-life fairy tale unfolded in 1956. Grace and Rainier's son aptly described the celebratory atmosphere of the day "For us it was our parents getting married. But what it's meant for Monaco, for people around the world, and, how their story continues to fascinate people, that's something unimaginable." Grace's beautiful choice of wedding gown remains as iconic and timeless over sixty years later.

Grace turned to MGM head costume designer Helen Rose, who created many of her most memorable looks in movies such as High Society and The Swan, to create the masterpiece. The two were close friends and searched through the MGM archives for inspiration. A gown designed by Rose for the movie Invitation and subsequently worn by actress Dorothy McGuire served as a starting point for the design. Below, we see Ms McGuire in Invitation and to the right a sketch of Grace's gown.

The completed creation was a high-necked, long-sleeved gown with a fitted torso and billowing skirt. The dress materials included "twenty-five yards of silk taffeta, one hundred yards of silk net, peau de soie, tulle and 125-year-old Brussels rose point lace". Instead of a tiara, she wore a beaded floral Juliet cap with a 90-yard veil and carried a pearl-encrusted prayer book and a delicate bouquet of Lilies of the Valley. Kelly's shoe designer David Evins hid a copper penny inside her right shoe for good luck. One author described the dress as "adding to the marital fervor and elevating matrimonial fashion" and called it a major influence on women who strove to "emulate Kelly's peau de soie and lace masterpiece".

The gown is quite simply a masterclass in timeless bridal elegance. It still serves as a template, inspiring brides and designers. One can draw parallels between Grace's story and Meghan's; both American actresses marrying a prince and beginning an entirely new chapter in their lives.

Princess Margaret

A gown remembered as a "study in simplicity" will have without question caught Meghan's eye. Indeed, when one thinks of Princess Margaret, 'simplicity' is not the word which springs to mind. The Queen's younger sister was the life and soul of the party; a complicated and colourful personality who adored fashion. I suspect her choice of gown may have surprised some who expected her to outdo her sister when she walked up the aisle at Westminster Abbey.

Instead, Margaret, who also chose her sister's wedding gown designer Norman Hartnell, opted for a gown effortlessly elegant owing to its clean lines and exquisite tailoring. Made from silk organza, the skirt comprised some 30 metres of fabric. Hartnell specifically kept the adornments of the dress such as the crystal embellishments and beading to a minimum in order to suit Margaret's petite frame.

It was the first royal wedding ever televised, and viewed by over 300 million people. In 1960, Life magazine named it "the simplest royal wedding gown in history". It has also been described as one of Hartnell's most beautiful and sophisticated pieces.

Princess Diana

The 1980s heralded a new dawn for the British Royal family when Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral. Twenty-year-old Diana became a worldwide sensation and millions all over the globe tuned in to see the bride on her wedding day.

Diana selected designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel because she adored a chiffon blouse they made for her for a formal photo session with Lord Snowdon, Princess Margaret's ex-husband.

Elizabeth Emanuel, described it as a dress that "had to be something that was going to go down in history, but also something that Diana loved", and which would be "suitably dramatic in order to make an impression". The woven silk taffeta was made by Stephen Walters of Suffolk. The Emanuels consulted Maureen Baker, who had made the wedding dress of Princess Anne, during their construction of the gown. One observer wrote "the dress was a crinoline, a symbol of sexuality and grandiosity, a meringue embroidered with pearls and sequins, its bodice frilled with lace". The gown was decorated with hand embroidery, sequins, and 10,000 pearls. The lace used to trim it was antique hand-made Carrickmacross lace which had belonged to Queen Mary.

The creation process was not all smooth sailing, with issues encountered along the journey. Fittings of the dress posed difficulties because Diana dropped from a size 14 to a size 10 in the months leading up to the wedding. Even the seamstress was concerned about her weight loss and feared the dress might not fit as it should. According to writer Andrew Morton in Diana: Her True Story, the gown's designers realised too late that they had forgotten to allow for the train's length in relation to the size of the glass coach Diana and her father rode in to the ceremony. They found it difficult to fit inside the glass coach, and the train was badly crushed despite Diana's efforts. This accounted for the visible wrinkles in the wedding gown when she arrived at the cathedral.

The gown, featuring puffed sleeves and a full skirt, served as inspiration for brides throughout the decade. Many bridal experts considered the dress a "gold standard" in wedding fashion in the years after the wedding. Elizabeth Emanuel noted in 2011 that she still received requests for replicas of Diana's dress. With the passage of 35 years, the gown hasn't stood the test of time as well as others listed here, however, one must remember it was very much a design of its time and in 1981 it was a fabulous choice for a future queen. Where is the gown now? The dress transferred ownership from her brother to her sons in 2014 because she had requested that her belongings be handed back to them when they both turned 30. It remains one of the most famous dresses in the world.

The Duchess of Cambridge

And in 2011, Prince William married his longtime love Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey. Though almost seven years ago, I can still vividly recall the collective gasp when Michael Middleton opened the door of the vintage Rolls Royce Phantom and Kate stepped out in the ivory satin and lace masterpiece by Sarah Burton.

Before the wedding, speculation was rife as to the chosen designer of the dress. The month before the wedding, The Sunday Times reported Ms Middleton had chosen McQueen designer Sarah Burton. Their report stated: "A fashion source said that the dress will be a combination of Middleton's own design ideas and Burton's deep knowledge and understanding of high fashion."

The designer's work came to Kate's attention in 2005 when she attended the wedding of Tom Parker Bowles, the son of Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Burton had designed the bridal gown for his bride, fashion journalist Sara Buys.

A statement issued by Clarence House read: "Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship and its respect for traditional workmanship and the technical construction of clothing. Miss Middleton wished for her dress to combine tradition and modernity with the artistic vision that characterises Alexander McQueen's work."

The sweeping gown featured a strapless,Victorian-style corset, narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips - underneath a high-necked, long-sleeved, sculpted bodice in intricate lacework, hand made by the Royal School of Needlework at Hampton Court Palace, and incorporating individual, hand-cut and embroidered flowers representing the rose, thistle, daffodil and shamrock. The English Cluny lace was hand worked in the Carrickmacross tradition, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s, and was mixed with French Chantilly lace.

The main body of the dress was made in ivory and white satin gazar, using UK fabrics which had been specially sourced by Sarah Burton, with a long, full skirt designed to echo an opening flower, with soft pleats which unfolded to the floor, forming a Victorian-style semi-bustle at the back, and finishing in a short train measuring just under three metres.

The Royal School of Needlework worked closely with the Alexander McQueen atelier team, the hand-stitchers washing their hands every thirty minutes to keep the lace and threads pristine, and changing the needles every three hours.The lace was also used to trim the skirt, as well as the veil, which was made in layers of ivory silk tulle. To partially fulfil the 'something blue' portion of the British wedding tradition, a blue ribbon was sewn inside the dress. The design for the bodice of the dress featuring lace in the style of the 19th Century was the 'something old'.

Sarah Burton later spoke about the experience, keeping it a secret and working with the future queen:

"'It was so great to actually keep a secret, especially in this day and age when everyone talks about everything.' Burton's parents, Anthony and Diane Heard, were told only on the eve of the ceremony. To find out just what their daughter had created, the couple had to join the crowds on the Mall and catch a glimpse of the Duchess via a periscope. It has been the experience of a lifetime to work with Catherine Middleton, to create her wedding dress, and I have enjoyed every minute of it."

Kate's gown was hailed as a triumph; marrying tradition with modernity and echoing Grace Kelly's romantic, regal gown. The impeccably-crafted piece was a true collaboration between Kate and Sarah Burton, and many years from now will remain a classic, timeless example which I believe will inspire brides for many generations to come.

After casting a quick glance at his future sister-in-law, Prince Harry smiled, turned to William and said: "Wait till you see her." In just over three months William will be returning the favour :)

Protocol

Looking at the five gowns they all share similar traits; full skirts, long sleeves and trains. They all very much fulfil the 'fairy-tale princess' grown ideal too. Are there specific protocols the designer of a royal wedding has to follow? It turns out the answer is no. Elizabeth Emmanuel revealed "there was absolutely no instruction or protocol from the palace". No formal requirements are issued, however, it is expected the bride will take into the consideration the wedding is in the presence of the monarch and a gown for a day of national celebration.

I chatted with royal commentator Victoria Arbiter who kindly shared her thoughts: "There really aren't any set rules when it comes to wedding dresses but a certain level of decorum would be expected. Many have said that sleeveless is forbidden, but Zara didn't have her arms covered. Out of respect to the Church and the Queen's position I would imagine Meghan will have her shoulders covered, but having said that she and Harry have been doing whatever feels most appropriate to them and he will want her to go with the dress of her dreams. She will be very aware of the eyes of the world on her and I expect she will want to go with what is 'right' while also incorporating her own style, but no-one will be dictating what she can and can't have."