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Is this the best royal wedding dress of all?

We’ve just had another royal silver wedding anniversary although the couple involved is so discreet, it’s perhaps not a surprise that it’s passed pretty much under the radar. Lady Sarah Chatto, niece of the Queen, celebrated twenty five years of marriage with husband, Daniel, on July 14th 2019. And that gives us a great excuse to take another look at her wedding dress. For this gown is one of the all time classics when it comes to Windsor brides. It’s elegant, timeless and yet very much suited to its wearer. And a quarter of a century on, it’s still irresistibly beautiful. Which begs the question, is Lady Sarah’s bridal gown the best royal wedding dress of them all?

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It was designed by Jasper Conran and its beauty lies in its simplicity. The gown is made of ivory georgette with a corsetted bodice with square neckline and fitted sleeves. The tailored top gives way to a full length, flowing skirt that drapes into a small train, all covered by a long tulle veil.

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The sparkle in the bride’s hair has been called the Snowdon Floral Tiara although in reality it began life as three brooches which were brought together to create this unique diadem. Sarah added foliage on either side of the diamonds, another delicate design detail that made this look all her own. Her bouquet was made up of cream flowers including roses. Those flowers were echoed in her bridesmaids posies which featured many of the same blooms but in pink. Sarah chose to dress her attendants, all adults, in outfits very similar to her own featuring fitted bodices and long skirts in ivory georgette.

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The wedding itself was low key with just 200 guests attending as Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones and Daniel Chatto said ‘I do’ at St. Stephen’s Walbrook Church in the City of London on July 14th 1994. However, their marriage attracted plenty of press attention and not just because of who the bride called ‘aunt’. The wedding came at the height of the Royal Family’s difficulties in the mid 1990s with both the Prince of Wales and the Duke of York separated but not yet divorced and a stream of negative headlines around the world.

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Lady Sarah and Daniel Chatto are a famously happy couple. They have two sons together and have enjoyed successful careers in the arts. Their wedding marked a high point at a difficult time for the House of Windsor and they’ve helped it to weather the storms, albeit discreetly and mostly behind the scenes. As they mark twenty five years of marriage, they have much to celebrate. And we can enjoy another look at a bridal gown that surely has to rank as one of the loveliest of all.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.