Like her daughter, mother of the bride Carole Middleton kept her wedding attire a secret before the big day. It was thought that she would wear designer Lindka Cierach, but has instead chosen Catherine Walker with a Jane Corbett hat. Kate’s former stylist explained on CNN that Catherine Walker was Princess Diana’s favorite designer. Walker passed away last October, and Carole’s choice, announced right before she arrived at the wedding, was significant as both a homage to Diana and the late designer.
Vera Wang called it reminiscent of the long dress and jacket that Camilla Parker Bowles wore to her wedding, and said it was “safe, elegant,” and “subtle.” I agree, it was a lovely understated dress and very elegant. I was impressed.
When I heard ‘sky blue’ I wasn’t expecting this blue/light grey hue but I quite like it both in color & cut. It’s a nice, slightly more fitted change from the norm. And I like Victoria Beckham’s hat, though I’m not sure why. I keep thinking it might look better not tipped forward quite as much but I could be wrong. I’m ready to pop open my champagne, let’s get a move on!
Aww. I love the gesture 🙂
I am a big supporter of this woman. Everyone loves to rag on her for being “lower class” but I think that is exactly the reason she is awesome. She worked her ass off to become worth more than $50 million, and she deserves her money. And of course she wants to provide her daughters with all the benefits that entails. And moving in influential circles is a hell of a benefit.
People ragging on the station in life to which she was born are just people desperately trying to make sense of this world by subscribing to the deluded belief that people born into money somehow deserve it, being of a certain “class”. They don’t. It’s a crapshoot. What you are born with is a great big lottery, and people born to priveledge are no more deserving of it than people born with AIDS are deserving of that. And the fact that a commoner’s daughter is now marrying a prince just because of her parents’s financial prowess is proof that “class” is imaginary and laughable.
@iheartlasagne, I made the title before I was able to see the dress. It’s just based on what they said on CNN, so maybe I should change it to light blue.
@zelda: agreed! i kind of like her parents just because they are hated on so much for being “commoners” that “want too much” for their daughters…. since when is that bad?
anyway, pretty dress
I didn’t intend to pick on your decription, the same color was described on BBC just before she got out of the car. Besides, it’s hard to tell with that lighting, cameras & such – it may be more blue than grey. Don’t change a thing on my account! Thanks for all your hard work, I’ve always really enjoyed this site.
gorgeous, classy.
I think she looks fabulous. I feel for this family. They are in a very awkward position. No family, unless they are royalty themselves, would ever be considered ‘good enough’.
The dress is lovely – I am not a fan of these hats the royal women in england favor but this one is OK – it is not too overdone like Camilla’s and it is not silly like those worn by the princesses in the other pictures – Kate’s mom looks lovely and respectful of Dianna and of her own daughter. She let her daughter shine on this day!
I loved the dress…and the hat is fabulous, too! I wish I could have a hat like the British women have…something with lots of tiny feathers!
have you watched the whole broadcast? some of those people in the abbey should have been arrested on the spot for crimes against fashion. Carole Middleton was one of the very few exceptions in the whole congregation who managed to dress elegantly.
Kate Middleton looks very sympathetic person from heart, but her mom seems very ambitiousous, strong will & seems a strong head woman too..which very good characters for business. I hope the marriage with royal family wont change their family value. I think, that’s one reason what Will missed in his life.
The outfit fit so perfectly, it looked like it had been sewed onto her body! What exquisite tailoring.
boring outfit 😛
What about that handsome son/brother of Waity? Where has he been?
Her dress looks perfect compared to a lot of other English looks the British upper class wore. She’s aging really well too.
She has a gorgeous figure. That dress looked fantastic on her
Didnt love it til i heard it was Diana favorite designer. That is so special and such a tribute to Diana. What a lovely sentiment for her to wear Dianas fav. designer. The Middletons were a class act at this weeding.
What was up with the poncey brother. He seemed more regal than william.
I have always loved the royals….that said the Middletons could teach them a few things…how to maintain fidelity in marriage, how to roll up your sleeves and make an honest living!! This family might not have royal blood but they exude good breeding!
@Zelda
I don’t think “common” is absolutely meant as an insult it just means that that person isn’t an aristrocrat or part of the nobility.
And if it’s imaginary than why would we and England be celebrating her marriage to a prince?
Class in England is a complicated thing.
@Lala:
It is imaginary in that it is not based in anything real. It’s a social construct that is only maintained because we choose to maintain it. If everyone agreed tomorrow that he was not a prince, and all titles were stripped, the world and society would function just fine. Probably better, in fact.
Unless you are daft enough to believe that these people are really divinely ordained.
And class is not complicated. It is, quite simply, considering people born to certain bloodlines as superiour to others. There’s not a whole lot to “get”.
@Lala
“I don’t think “common” is absolutely meant as an insult it just means that that person isn’t an aristrocrat or part of the nobility”
I guess you are not from the UK!
Being referred to as common is very insulting and deliberately dismissive.
Trollydolly: I was just going to say that “common” is indeed an insult!
I was reading (probably on a Brit gossip site) that the Palace Poohbahs were sniffing and looking down their monocles at Kate and William for (a) having a buffet reception, and (b) having that McVities chocolate cake for William. It was all so so . . . common.
can i have your fb?