Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress Now Has a Surprising Connection to Meghan Markle's

After Kate Middleton traded vows with Prince William at Westminster Abbey on April 29, 2011, her elegant lace-and-taffeta wedding dress left a mark on the bridal fashion landscape. Ever since she wore her timeless frock with long sleeves and a billowing train, brides-to-be around the world have been trying to replicate the chic-yet-classic garment—and English designer Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen is primarily responsible for this extensive impact.

When creating Kate’s big-day gown, Burton was the creative director of the namesake label—but the designer just announced the news that she’ll be joining Givenchy as the label’s new creative director, according to The Guardian on September 9, 2024. With Burton’s job change, there’s now an unexpected connection between the Princess of Wales’ wedding dress and her sister-in-law Meghan Markle's own gown: Kate’s bridal gown designer is going to work at the French luxury fashion house that designed Markle’s minimalist wedding ensemble by designer Clare Waight Keller, which she sported for her nuptials to Prince Harry in May 2018.

After spending 26 years working at Alexander McQueen, Burton—who stepped down from the British brand last year—will be overseeing the women’s and men’s collections of Givenchy “with immediate effect.” In a statement, Burton expressed her enthusiasm for this opportunity. “It is a great honor to be joining the beautiful house of Givenchy—it is a jewel,” she said. “I am so excited to be able to write the next chapter in the story of this iconic house and to bring to Givenchy my own vision, sensibility, and beliefs.”

Burton first began her stint at Alexander McQueen as a college intern. In 1997, she then entered the workforce as an assistant at the British fashion house before being promoted to the head of womenswear three years later. After the founder of the brand, Lee Alexander McQueen, passed away in 2010, Burton succeeded him as the creative director, a role she held until she left the company last year. 

Before Burton was guiding the brand's vision, Kate was introduced to the designer's work at the wedding of Tom Parker-Bowles, Queen Camilla’s son, in 2005. His bride, Sarah Buys (who is now divorced from him), donned a strapless mermaid-style piece with a layer of tulle beneath the skirt that caught her eye and that influenced her decision to work with Burton for her bridal gown. “Miss Middleton chose British brand Alexander McQueen for the beauty of its craftsmanship,” the palace said in a statement at the time.

When Markle was weighing her options for her own bridal getup, she reportedly selected Waight Keller given her accomplishment as the first female artistic director of Givenchy. According to The Guardian, Burton will be the second woman to take on the title at the atelier.