Prince | Soldier | Patron

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HARRY!!

The wedding outfits of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will go on display at Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh in 2018 and 2019 respectively in a special exhibition ‘A Royal Wedding: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’.

The Duchess of Sussex’s wedding dress was created by the British designer Clare Waight Keller, Artistic Director at the historic French fashion house Givenchy. The Duchess chose Ms Waight Keller for her timeless and elegant aesthetic, and for the impeccable tailoring of her creations. The Duchess and Ms Waight Keller worked closely together on the design.

The dress is made from an exclusive double-bonded silk cady, developed by Ms Waight Keller following extensive research in fabric mills throughout Europe. True to the heritage of the House of Givenchy, the graceful lines of the dress were achieved using six meticulously placed seams. These extend towards the back of the dress, where the train flows in soft round folds cushioned by an underskirt in triple silk organza. One of the main features of the dress is the boat neckline bodice.

The five-metre-long veil is made from silk tulle and embroidered with the flora of the 53 countries of the Commonwealth, a reference to an important part of the Duke and Duchess’s official work following His Royal Highness’s appointment as Commonwealth Youth Ambassador.

The Duchess added two of her favourite flowers to the embroidered decoration: Wintersweet (Chimonanthus praecox), which grows in the grounds of Kensington Palace in front of Nottingham Cottage, and the California Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), the state flower of the Duchess’s place of birth, California.

Embroidered ears of wheat, symbolising love and charity, are symmetrically placed at the front of the veil, which is edged with embroidered organza flowers. It took the team of embroiderers hundreds of hours to create the design, washing their hands every 30 minutes to keep the tulle and threads pristine.

The Duchess’s veil was held in place by a diamond and platinum bandeau tiara, lent to her by Her Majesty The Queen. On public display for the first time, the tiara is formed as a flexible band of eleven sections, pavé set with large and small brilliant diamonds in a geometric design. The centre is set with a detachable brooch of ten brilliant diamonds.

The bandeau was made in 1932 for Her Majesty’s grandmother, Queen Mary, and specifically designed to accommodate the centre brooch. This brooch was given to the then Princess Mary in 1893 by the County of Lincoln on her marriage to Prince George, Duke of York (the future King George V). The bandeau and the brooch were bequeathed to Her Majesty by Queen Mary in 1953.

The Duke of Sussex’s wedding outfit was the frockcoat uniform of the Household Cavalry (the ‘Blues and Royals’), specially commissioned for the occasion and made by tailors at Dege & Skinner on Savile Row. The uniform’s single-breasted blue doeskin jacket has figured braiding of regimental pattern on the stand-up collar and sleeves. It is ranked to Major with large gold embroidered crowns on the epaulettes.

The trousers, officially called ‘overalls’, are made from a blue and black wool barathea and are fastened by a leather strap and buckle underneath the boot. The Duke has loaned an identical uniform to go on display.

Following the displays, Royal Collection Trust will make a donation to the Royal Foundation. Further announcements on the exhibition will be made in due course.

'A Royal Wedding: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’ is part of a visit to Windsor Castle from 26 October 2018 to 6 January 2019 and part of a visit to the Palace of Holyroodhouse from 14 June to 6 October 2019.

To book tickets for guaranteed entry at Windsor Castle or visitor information, please visit www.royalcollection.org.uk or telephone +44 (0)303 123 7300.

Ottawa, August 28, 2018 –  

His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex was named the recipient of the 2018 Founders Award during The Royal Canadian Legion’s Dominion Convention in Ottawa.

Every two years since 2012, the Legion’s Founders Award is bestowed on an individual whose extraordinary achievement both exemplifies and advances the purposes and objectives of the Legion and is true to the spirit and vision of its founding members.

The 2018 award recognizes one of his most notable achievements: the founding of the Invictus Games. This competition harnesses the power of sport to motivate ill and injured servicemen and servicewomen and helps them along on the road to recovery. The courage and determination they display while training and competing leads to a wider understanding and respect for those who serve their country.

“Prince Harry’s inspiring movement has earned our gratitude for how it supports veterans and serves our military members,” says 2016-2018 Dominion President David Flannigan. “The Legion was proud to be a Signature Sponsor of the third games, held in 2017 in Toronto, and we wish Team Canada and all international athletes all the best for the upcoming competition in Sydney, Australia this October.”

Prince Harry was named the recipient of the award at the Legion’s 47th Dominion Convention in Winnipeg.

About The Royal Canadian Legion

The Duke of Sussex poses for a photograph with Ndaba Mandela, Sir Elton John and David Furnish