Rewind 12 years to Prince William and Kate Middleton‘s fairytale wedding at Westminster Abbey. The royal couple enchanted the country as they exchanged vows, but the magical day in royal history was tainted by a scandal that few people are aware of.
The Princess of Wales looked beautiful in a stunning lace bridal gown created by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen on her wedding day. It’s difficult to forget the quirky wedding gown that rocketed Kate into the royal spotlight, with its spectacular 8.85 ft train, lavish lace bodice, and hidden family tributes stitched into the seams.
Princess Kate’s bespoke wedding gown sparked further controversy five years later when bridal designer Christine Kendall filed a copyright complaint against the British fashion house.
Christine stated that the Princess of Wales’s wedding gown was very similar to her own sketches. She also believed that the royal wedding gown would not have been the same without her input.
This didn’t cause too much anxiety at first until Christine said that the palace had issued a letter of thanks for her designs in response to an open request for proposals from British designers.
According to the Sunday Times, Alexander McQueen was sued by Christine Kendall, but they were “utterly baffled” by the accusations. The fashion house shared in a statement: “Christine Kendall first approached us, at Alexander McQueen, almost four years ago, when we were clear with her that any suggestion Sarah Burton’s design of the royal wedding dress was copied from her designs was nonsense.”
The designer of Princess Kate’s wedding gown was kept a secret from the public until she arrived at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011. Embroiderer Amanda Ewing, who worked on the gown, spoke out about the level of secrecy surrounding its creation. “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, adding: “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity.”