Meghan Markle speaks for the first time about creating her royal wedding dress

‘I wanted a very timeless, classic feeling’

Meghan Markle has spoken for the very first time about the vision that she had for her royal wedding dress when collaborating with Givenchy artistic director Clare Waight Keller.

The Duchess of Sussex’s gown was one of the most highly anticipated aspects of the day when she tied the knot with Prince Harry at St George’s Chapel in May.

Now that the couples’ wedding outfits are on display as part of a royal wedding exhibition at Windsor Castle, the duchess has revealed exactly how she envisioned the gown prior to its creation.

The wedding dress of The Duchess of Sussex, created by the British designer Clare Waight Keller, Artistic Director at the historic French fashion house Givenchy (Royal Collection Trust / (c) All Rights Reserved)

“I had a very clear vision of what I wanted for the day, and what I wanted the dress to look like, and so what was amazing in working with Clare is that sometimes you’ll find designers try to push you in a different direction,” the duchess says in audio commentary recorded for visitors at the exhibition.

“But she just completely respected what I wanted to see for the day, and she wanted to bring that to life for me.”

Meghan was very specific in her preferences for the dress, opting for a neckline that she’s been known to have a particular penchant for.

“So I knew at the onset I wanted a bateau neckline, I wanted a cropped sleeve, I wanted a very timeless, classic feeling,” she says.

“Obviously with respect to the environment we were in and St George’s Chapel, being really modest in what it would look like, I knew that the tailoring was so key, because the dress itself would be so covered up.”

The duchess explains in the commentary that Ms Waight Keller had ticked “all the boxes” as the designer of her wedding dress, being British, a woman and artistic director of a globally renowned luxury fashion house.

The Duchess of Sussex wore Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau tiara on her wedding day, lent to her by the Queen.

Meghan describes what it was like to visit the Queen when selecting her headpiece, saying that it was “an incredibly surreal day”.

Prince Harry, who joined the duchess when she visited the Queen, also speaks on the commentary about what the experience was like for him and his bride-to-be.

He explains how Queen Mary's diamond bandeau tiara had suited Meghan the best "without question", saying that it was "such an incredible loan by my grandmother, it was very sweet."

The exhibition, titled "A Royal Wedding: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex", will be on display at Windsor Castle from 26 October 2018 until 6 January 2019, before moving to the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh from 14 June until 6 October 2019.

The outfits worn by Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the royal wedding will also be on display.