Meghan Markles wedding dress more of a showstopper than Kate Middletons frock
Meghan Markles wedding dress is apparently going to knock socks off Kate Middletons wedding gown in the wow-factor stakes.
The royal bride to be will marry Harry on 19 May in a lavish Windsor Castle ceremony.
And shes apparently been undergoing a number of fittings at Kensington Palace as she keeps losing weight ahead of her big day.
Theres no denying Meghans dress is going to be one of the key focuses on the day, with royal spectators already desperate to know who has designed it, what it looks like and how much it costs.
Since Harry and Meghans engagement, speculation has been rife over who the designer is, with bookies backing names included Erdem, Caroline Herrera, Inbal Dror and Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen.
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But the current favourite is British design duo Tamara Ralph and Michael Russo, behind luxury label Ralph & Russo.
Meghan is a fan of the designer label, having worn a Ralph & Russo dress for her official engagement photos.
The dress famously hit headlines after it was revealed it cost an eye-watering £46,650.
Its understood Meghan asked them to design her an ornate and intricate dress, which is believed to be costing in the region of £40,000, according to The Sun.
A source told the publication how its more of a show-stopper than Kate Middletons, adding: Like most brides, Meghan has been on a bit of a health kick and has lost a significant amount of weight.
Accordingly, shes had at least three fittings at Kensington Palace, with the dress taken in each time.
It was reported in April that Meghans dress will likely cost less than the Duchess Of Cambridges wedding gown did.
Its not too difficult to find a wedding dress that cost less than Kates, given it did set her parents Carole and Michael Middleton back £250,000.
But even if she wanted to, its unlikely Meghan will allow her frock to dwarf Kates in the money stakes.
Why? Out of respect for the Queen Consort, apparently.
What is a Queen Consort?
A Queen Consort is the wife of a reigning King.
The Queen Consort shares her husband's social rank and status, although not his military or political powers.
King George VI's wife and The Queen Mother, Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, was a Queen Consort.
A Queen Consort can take the title of Queen.
When Prince Charles ascends the throne, Camilla, Duchess Of Cornwall, will become Queen Camilla.
On their wedding day, Clarence House revealed that when Charles becomes King, presuming he will not abdicate, Camilla will become known as Princess Consort.
Traditionally, as dictated by English common law, the wife of the ruling monarch is called Queen Consort: Kate Middleton will be known as when William ascends the throne.
There is no historical or legal reason why Camilla would be known as Princess Consort and this year, Clarence House removed the statement dictating this, suggesting she will, after all, be known as Queen Consort.
Likewise, when Prince William, Duke Of Cambridge eventually becomes King, Catherine, Duchess Of Cambridge will become Queen Catherine.
There have been reports that [Meghans] considering spending hundreds of thousands of pounds on a wedding dress. I think thats incredibly unlikely, Katie Nicholl explained to Entertainment Tonight.
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It was [Kates] parents, Carole and Michael Middleton, who paid for that bill. I think it was very unlikely that Meghan would spend more than that and in doing so try and upstage a future queen, she added.
A closer look at the Duchess Of Cambridge's wedding dress
Alexander McQueen's creative director Sarah Burton was the brains behind Kate's elegant – and stunning – lace bridal gown for her wedding to Prince William.
For months speculation was rife on who would be the designer and Sarah had kept a stealthy silence on the matter.
So it was only natural that everyone was clamoring for the first glimpse of Kate in her dress – even it it was shielded in part by the screens at The Goring.
As Kate finally emerged outside Westminster Abbey – with the entire world seeing her dress on TV screens before her husband-to-be had – it was confirmed that Burton was in fact the designer.
She was even on hand to neaten the train – which was 9ft long – on the day and ensure every inch of the dress looked perfect as Kate made her way down the aisle.
It later emerged that Kate and Sarah had been having secret meetings at Hampton Court Palace to discuss the dress – the location chosen due to its proximity to The Royal School Of Needlework, who created the lace for the gown.
It was so hush-hush that staff there were told that the lace they were creating was actually for a period drama.
However, nothing more is known of the frock Meghan will say I do in – apart from the fact shes been having secret fittings at Kensington Palace.
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Will she wear white? Will she wear blush? What about almond? All will be revealed on Saturday 19 May.
All eyes will surely also be on what Meghans mum Doria Ragland is wearing too, given she will be taking up the crucial role of mother of the bride.
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