Royal Expert Reveals Why Kate Middleton Was ‘In Tears’ Over Her Wedding Dress: ‘On the Day…’

Kate Middleton married her college sweetheart, Prince William, on April 29, 2011, in a fairytale wedding that 18 million people watched, glued to their screens. The Princess of Wales stunned in a beautiful ivory wedding gown—but few know she was reduced to tears over it ahead of her big day. According to royal expert Katie Nicholl, the leak of her wedding dress design had left Middleton devastated.

Nicoll claims that following the announcement of the royal wedding, the press was desperate to find out as many details on the nuptials as they could. As reported by the Royal Insider, Nicoll, on Vanity Fair’s Dynasty podcast, said, “The secrecy surrounding it [the dress]…I remember trying so hard to find out who the designer was.” She explained, “And I think hats off to The Sunday Times, who revealed it was Sarah Burton for McQueen ahead of the big day, which apparently had Kate in tears behind the scenes, which perhaps hints at some of the stress that she went through in the run-up to the royal wedding.”

Shortly afterwards, a statement from Buckingham Palace revealed that Middleton had worked closely with Burton on her wedding dress design. Nicoll added, “On the day itself, it didn’t really matter; she stepped out of the car, and she looked absolutely beautiful.” The Princess of Wales’ Alexander McQueen dress reportedly drew inspiration from the Victorian tradition of corsetry. Burton, who also designed Middleton's wedding reception dress, was the creative director of the brand. The second dress featured a sweetheart neckline, a full circle skirt, and a diamante belt at the waist. Middleton effortlessly completed the look with a matching white, fuzzy Angora shrug.

After the royal wedding, Burton finally decided to set the record straight after months of denying reports that she was involved in designing the gown. According to Harper’s Bazaar, the designer said in a statement, “The last few months have been very exciting and an incredible experience for my team and I as we have worked closely with Catherine to create this dress under conditions of the strictest secrecy.” She added, “Understandably, Catherine has been very keen to keep the details of her dress a secret, which is every bride's prerogative.”

The Princess of Wales’s wedding gown’s lace was hand-made by the Royal School of Needlework. The lace motifs on her elegant dress also included the rose, thistle, daffodil, and shamrock, representing the United Kingdom. Her bodice and skirt fitted with lace appliqué perfectly complemented the Ivory satin-based crepe material. Middleton also wore a Cartier Halo tiara for the special day, gifted by the late Queen Elizabeth II. After the royal wedding, her gorgeous wedding gown was displayed at Buckingham Palace. The dress reportedly cost a whopping £250,000, paid for by Middleton's parents.