The Royal Wedding Series is an eight-part series that highlights exceptional work by fashion journalists at SCAD Atlanta. The series was written entirely by students in Writing About Fashion and Fashion Writing courses, taught by Professor Linda Sherbert. The students were assigned to cover the royal wedding of Meghan Markle and Prince Harry. Each piece was written from a unique perspective and style surrounding the topic of the historic royal wedding. If you would like to submit a work of fashion journalism, contact fashion@scadconnector.com.
by Keris Thomas
Nailing her “something borrowed,” Meghan Markle’s wedding tiara held as much significance as her gown.
Prince Harry’s bride followed royal etiquette and paid homage to her new family through a meaningful, glittering accessory that has been a stylish symbol of British tradition for most of a century. Following in the Duchess of Cambridge’s steps, Meghan wore a tiara on loan from Queen Elizabeth II’s vault — in this case, Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau.
“The veil is held in place by Queen Mary’s diamond bandeau tiara, lent to Ms. Markle by the Queen,” according to the Kensington Palace Twitter. The tiara was custom made for the queen’s grandmother, Mary, in 1932. The detachable brooch, inside the tiara, was a wedding gift for Mary from the County of Lincoln in 1893.
The bandeau features 11 elaborately decorated sections of punctured by interlaced ovals and covered in large and small, dazzling pave diamonds set in platinum. The tiara had not been seen since before Mary’s death in 1953.
Flattering the diamond tiara, Meghan styled her hair in a sleek, low bun covered by a cathedral-length veil embroidered with 53 flowers representing different locations in the Commonwealth. She wore a custom, boat-neck Givenchy gown with a statement train. Dress designer Clare Waight Keller met Meghan in early 2018. Keller became the first female artistic director of Givenchy last year.
“The focus of the dress is the graphic open-bateau neckline that gracefully frames the shoulders and emphasizes the slender sculpted waist,” said Kensington Palace. “The lines of the dress extend towards the back, where the train flows in soft, round folds cushioned by an underskirt in triple silk organza. The slim three-quarter sleeves add a note of redefined modernity.”
Surprisingly, the now Duchess of Sussex was dressed very modestly but with a modern twist. In doing so, Meghan put more focus on her beautiful face. The chapel itself added its own dress code restrictions, and Meghan pushed the envelope because women are expected to wear long sleeves and shoulders are to be covered. Still, the queen approved the bride’s fashion choices.
Overall, the tiara brought the entire look together, allowing Meghan to display both a poised nod to tradition and a refreshing sense of modernity.
