HAND-ONE'S-DOWN
Princess Beatrice’s wedding dress belonged to the Queen who first wore it in 1961 and she borrowed her bridal tiara too
PRINCESS Beatrice’s low-key wedding was a far cry from a traditional royal affair, with the bride even opting to wear a second hand dress.
The Princess of York raided The Queen’s wardrobe and chose to borrow a dress her grandmother had first worn back in 1961.
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Beatrice, 31, also wore the tiara worn by the Queen on her own wedding day back in 1947 as she said ‘I do’ to Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.
The gorgeous white satin gown features a waterfall of intricate beaded embroidery from the bodice to the mid-thigh.
The sleeveless dress also has embellished shoulder straps and additional beading at the waist.
The royal bride, 31, chose to add her own personal touch to the dress by having a pair of sheer, puffed sleeves sewn into the straps.
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Beatrice also had the underskirts removed opting for a simple silk trim on the hem rather than the puff-ball skirt her grandmother wore.
The dress was the creation of Norman Hartnell a designer loved by the monarch.
As well as the dress, Beatrice also borrowed a tiara from The Queen’s jewellery collection as is custom for royal brides.
However, it wasn’t just any tiara, it was the same tiara worn by the Queen when she married Prince Philip back in 1947.
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Beatrice's tiara that the Queen wore (and snapped) on her own wedding day
A few hours before Princess Elizabeth (as she was then) was due to leave for Westminster Abbey, the monarch's antique tiara SNAPPED.
Having once belonged to her grandmother Queen Mary, the tiara - which was made in 1919 - was a more minimal version of a Russian kokoshnik design and featured 47 diamond-studded pointed spikes.
Similarly to how Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton have adapted their jewellery collections, Queen Mary commissioned the fringe tiara be made out of a necklace her mother-in-law Queen Victoria gave her as a wedding present in 1893, reports.
The Queen then chose to wear her grandmother's tiara as her "something borrowed" on her special day - but was left devastated when the metal frame snapped as it was being attached to her veil.
Court jeweller Gerrard later revealed how the Queen Mother tried to comfort her daughter by telling her "we have two hours and there are other tiaras".
However, Her Majesty was determined to still wear the piece and so a court jeweller was sent by police escort to Garrard's workshop in London for an emergency repair.
Fortunately, the tiara was welded back together - leaving only a small gap between the central and right spike.
The priceless antique was then returned to the Queen Mother who also loaned it to her granddaughter Princess Anne for her wedding to Mark Phillip in 1973.
After the Queen Mother passed away in 2002, Her Majesty has since inherited the tiara and now only wears the sentimental piece on rare special occasions.
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Her Majesty wore the gown along with a fur stole and a ceremonial sash at a state dinner held in honour of the then Italian President Giovanni Gronchi at the British Embassy in Rome on 4th May 1961.
The Queen was one of the few guests in attendance at the wedding in Windsor yesterday.
The couple were married in a small family ceremony that took place at The Royal Chapel of All Saints at Royal Lodge, Windsor, with the permission of the Queen.
The couple decided to hold a small private ceremony with their parents and siblings following the postponement of their wedding in May.
Working within government guidelines, the service was in keeping with the unique circumstances while enabling them to celebrate their wedding with their closest family.
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Most read in Celebrity
In other royal news, we told you how Beatrice fell for family friend and dad-of-one Edoardo.
And Beatrice has become the first Princess to become a step-mum.
Plus we shared how Princess Beatrice ‘is ready to start a family with multi-millionaire property tycoon Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi’ – and mum Sarah Ferguson is chuffed.
Princess Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi MARRY in front of Queen and Prince Andrew at secret Royal Wedding in Windsor
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