The Royals Have a Long History of Memorable Bridesmaid Dresses

When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge married in 2011, they had two royal bridesmaids — Lady Louise Windsor (pictured here), who is William's cousin, and Lady Margarita Armstrong-Jones, who is the granddaughter of his late great-aunt Princess Margaret. All the bridesmaids wore ballerina-length ivory silk satin Nicki Macfarlane dresses with ballet pumps and a floral crown.

Not widely reported during the wedding coverage but seen here was a high-collared matching mini cape that the bridesmaids wore for the chilly April carriage ride from the service in Westminster Abbey to the reception at Buckingham Palace.

For her brother Peter's wedding to Autumn Kelly in 2008, Zara (far left) wore pistachio-colored Vera Wang and an elegant chignon.

The two cute little princesses did their bit to support their nanny Alison Wardley in 1993. Shiny white ruffled dresses with abundant flower crowns and hoops were the order of the day for both the young and adult bridesmaids.

When Prince Andrew married Sarah Ferguson in 1986, Zara (far left) was one of the bridesmaids, dressed in a cute peachy dress with tonal floral crown and flower hoop. Note a certain cheeky Prince William as pageboy on the far right.

Just three years before her own wedding, Diana fulfilled bridesmaid duties for her older sister Lady Jane Spencer in 1978. The frumpy apron-style dress was markedly different from the personal style choices the princess made herself . . .

Before she was bridesmaid for Prince Charles and Lady Diana, Sarah did her bit for another cousin — Princess Anne. At the 1973 wedding, Sarah wore a white apron-style dress over a lattice-pattern gown with a skull cap. Anne's brother Prince Edward was the page boy.

A river of shiny white fabric threatened to engulf Anne (bottom left) and the other bridesmaids at the 1964 wedding of Princess Anne-Marie of Greece.

The queen's daughter was the go-to royal bridesmaid for many weddings as she was growing up. She's seen here (left) at the 1960 wedding of her father Prince Philip's cousin Lady Pamela Mountbatten.

Anne was her aunt Princess Margaret's bridesmaid in 1960 — carrying a bucket of confetti in the middle of the shot with her brother Prince Charles as pageboy on the left.

A clearer image of the bridesmaid dresses at the wedding of Princess Margaret — with Anne standing by her aunt's side.

In 1950, the queen's sister was a bridesmaid in ivory satin with a blossom bouquet and white opera gloves for their cousin Margaret Elphinstone.

When the queen's lady-in-waiting married the queen and Princess Margaret's private secretary John Colville in 1948, Margaret was bridesmaid in a tulle gown with matching bonnet and a fur cape.

For the queen and Prince Philip's wedding in 1947, Margaret wore an exquisite flower-decked tulle gown and matching tulle wrap fastened with a bow. Both were made by royal couturier Norman Hartnell, as was the queen's wedding dress.

A year before her own wedding, and before she came to the throne, the queen (far right) and her sister, Princess Margaret (second right), were bridesmaids for their third cousin Patricia Mountbatten in 1946.

Elizabeth (right) and Margaret (left) were picture-perfect bridesmaids for their uncle the Duke of Kent in 1934.

For her first time as bridesmaid, the future queen (right) was 5 years old and wore a velvety gown and skull cap for the wedding of her cousin once removed Lady May Cambridge in 1931.