29 April 2011 · Westminster Abbey, London
Kate Middleton's Wedding Veil: Who Made It, What It Was Made Of, and How to Get the Look
When Catherine Middleton married Prince William at Westminster Abbey on 29 April 2011, her veil was the opposite of Diana's thirty years before. It was light, sheer and quiet: layers of soft ivory silk tulle with a fine edge of hand-embroidered flowers, held by a Cartier tiara lent by the Queen.
We make wedding veils by hand in Bath, and this is still one of the veils brides bring to us most. Here is what it was, who made it, and how to get the same look.
The record
What she wore
- The veil
- Layers of soft ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers. She wore it forward over her face as she walked up the aisle.
- Who made it
- The Royal School of Needlework, whose embroiderers worked on it at Hampton Court Palace.
- The tiara
- A Cartier ‘halo’ tiara lent by the Queen. The Queen's mother had given it to her for her 18th birthday.
- The dress
- Designed by Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen, with lace in roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks, made using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique.
- The train
- Two metres and 70 centimetres. Short for a royal wedding, and in keeping with the rest of the look.
- The care
- The embroiderers washed their hands every thirty minutes to keep the work clean, and changed their needles every three hours to keep them sharp.
A veil maker's reading
Why less worked
Discover ‘Clarence’ →
The dress had lace on the bodice and sleeves. A heavy veil on top would have hidden it. Silk tulle is so fine that it reads almost like mist, so through the veil you could still see the lace, and her face was softened just enough to make the walk up the aisle feel like a ceremony.
The embroidered edge mattered too. A plain silk veil over an ivory dress can disappear in photographs. A thin line of flowers around the edge draws the shape of the veil, so it shows up without shouting.
The lesson for brides is that a veil does not need length to change a look. Choose the tulle first. Silk tulle drapes close to the head and moves softly, which is why it photographs the way that veil did.
Get the look · one
Sheer silk, worn forward
For the closest match, look at a drop veil in pure silk tulle. A drop veil is one piece of tulle that falls over the face at the front and down the back, held at the crown. Lift the front after the vows and it becomes a simple veil behind.
If you love the lace on your dress, a veil with a lace edge and a blusher frames it in the same way.
Discover ‘Maeve’ →
Get the look · two
A fine finished edge
Discover ‘Ada’ →
The other half of the look is the edge. Kate's veil had a narrow trim of embroidered flowers. Ours are finished by hand in Bath in the same spirit: a fine lace edge all the way round, or small embroidered flowers on the sheerest tulle we use.
Keep the edge narrow. A thin line of detail flatters most dresses. A wide band of lace makes the veil the main event.
Worn by real brides
Our Real Brides archive has hundreds of weddings in our veils, photographed by the brides' own photographers. Look for the silk and lace-edged veils to see how they move on the day.
See Real BridesYour questions, answered
Who made Kate Middleton's veil?
The Royal School of Needlework. Its embroiderers made it at Hampton Court Palace, from layers of soft ivory silk tulle with a trim of hand-embroidered flowers.
Did Kate Middleton wear her veil over her face?
Yes. She wore it forward over her face as she walked up the aisle of Westminster Abbey, in the traditional way.
What tiara did Kate Middleton wear?
A Cartier ‘halo’ tiara, lent to her by the Queen. The Queen's mother had given it to the Queen for her 18th birthday.
Who designed Kate Middleton's wedding dress?
Sarah Burton at Alexander McQueen. The lace was made using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique, with roses, thistles, daffodils and shamrocks for the four nations of the United Kingdom.
How long was Kate Middleton's train?
Two metres and 70 centimetres.
Keep exploring
More royal wedding veils
See every modern royal bride on our royal wedding veils page, or read about Princess Diana's dress and veil, the grand 1981 look that Kate's veil turned away from.
Britten has no connection with the Royal Family. Our veils are our own designs, made by hand in Bath.