Lady Gabriella Windsor – 52nd in the line of succession to the British throne – will marry Thomas Kingston in a small intimate ceremony at St George’s Chapel tomorrow. We often see Lady Gabriella with her parents, and brother Lord Frederick Windsor on the balcony at Buckingham Palace for major royal events. The Queen and other members of the Royal Family are expected to attend, so hopefully we will get some images.
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Lady Gabriella Maria Alexandra Ophelia Windsor was born on the 23rd April 1981 to parents Prince and Princess Michael of Kent. Her paternal grandparents are Prince George, Duke of Kent (son of King George V and Queen Mary) and Princess Marina of Greece and Denmark. Her maternal grandparents are Baron Günther von Reibnitz and Countess Maria Szapáry von Muraszombath. The senior director of Branding Latin America and freelance writer is the great-great-great granddaughter of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.
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Gabriella is very traditional and conservative in her style. She is steadfast in upholding traditional dress standards, choosing pieces from high-society bespoke designers such as Catherine Walker, Claire Mischevani, Beulah London and sweeping Philip Treacy toppers. Gabriella chooses simple silhouettes with clean lines, minimal embellishments, nude or black court heels and adds highly decorative hats to make her outfits look highly polished. So who will Gabriella choose for special day?
Let’s take a look at some of her recent looks to get a better idea of her style.
Lady Gabriella attending a party in a Beulah London dress.
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Lady Gabriella attends Pippa Middleton’s wedding in Catherine Walker and Philip Treacy.
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Lady Gabriella attends the wedding of Princess Eugenie to Jack Brooksbank in Claire Mischevani, Philip Treacy and a Bottega Veneta clutch.
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Our top 5 contenders for the wedding dress designer are:
Catherine Walker
The bespoke luxury couturier was a favourite of Diana’s, and Walker’s highly-tailored dress coats feature in heavy rotation in The Duchess of Cambridge’s wardrobe. Catherine Walker is also predominantly worn by both Lady Gabriella and her sister-in-law Lady Frederick Windsor for major royal events. It would seem quite natural for Gabriella to choose a designer she is so familiar and comfortable working with.
Catherine Walker’s Bridal Collection features heavy use of ivory satin, punctuated with lace. The designs are quite vintage and other-worldly in design aesthetic. Great for the traditionalist at heart. Will lady Gabriella stick with something that is tried and tested or will she branch out to choose a different designer?
Claire Mischevani
Claire Mischevani is fast becoming the new age Catherine Walker, creating classically tailored pieces for Royals and high-society types, with the skill of mixing demure designs with modern aesthetics with masterful aplomb. A breath of fresh air in the luxury bespoke tailoring world compared with the sometimes stuffy and more old-fashioned designs of Walker. Mischevani is paving her way in the royal fashion circles having dressed Princess Beatrice, Zara Tindall, Autumn Phillips, Lady Gabriella and Lady Frederick Windsor as well as countless high society women.
Mischevani’s designs are uber feminine, free flowing, demure in a range of soft pastel pinks, blues and lemons yellows. With high necklines, long sleeves, tea-length fit and flare dresses. The luxurious materials are embroidered with beading, embellishments and floral embroidery. Claire Mischevani also creates beautiful coats and stunning evening gowns.
Mischevani bridal designs boast a popular use of lace throughout the collection, sweetheart necklines, column gowns with pooling long flowing trains of lace or satin, creating a very classic feminine style. Those who are lovers of lace dresses and gowns would favour Mischevani designs for their wedding.
We would love to see Lady Gabriella choose a Claire Mischevani piece and is our top pick for Lady Gabriella.
Stewart Parvin
A swing of the pendulum to the other side of design from Mischevani is the quintessential sophisticated, traditional and classical royal designer Stewart Parvin. Designing his own collection from 1995, Parvin has a Royal Warrant to The Queen, dressing Her Majesty regularly. What some may fear as old fashioned or stuffy in this Instagram-trend world, is actually an established couturier, who looks to uphold a sophisticated and timeless design aesthetic, steeped in rich feminine elegance.
The style of Parvin is a mix of a more traditional silhouette and fabric combinations of satin and delicate guipure lace, with wide satin sashes to cinch the waist, circa 1980’s bridal style, or thin white rectangular belts for a slight modern touch. Parvin’s bridal collections feature the traditional bateau neckline and full ballgown skirt design that Princess Mary wore on her wedding day; he also creates sleek column gowns, strapless lace bustiers with satin skirts and even the more modern tuxedo dresses, favoured by Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex.
Zara Tindall wore a bespoke Stewart Parvin wedding gown to marry rugby player Mike Tindall in Edinburgh in 2011.
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The Queen in Stewart Parvin at the recent Maundy Thursday Service at Westminster Abbey with granddaughter Princess Eugenie of York, April 2019.
Emilia Wickstead
Emilia Wickstead encapsulates the very essence of the sophisticated fashion styling and silhouettes that are favoured by Lady Gabriella. Constructed from beautiful luxurious fabrics, simple clean lines, unfussy and embellishment free, these gowns are expertly-tailored to create exquisitely dramatic gowns in a highly refined fashion.
The New Zealand born, British-based designer showcases sumptuous shining satin and sheer silk overlays, with cinched waistlines and gradual a-line flare full skirts to create a sleek, sophisticated femininity, oozing an understated elegance. Wickstead’s designs allow both the gown and the bride to sing together in perfect harmony, without either overtaking the other to create an ethereal romantic bride.
This would be a nice, fashion-forward choice of designer for Lady Gabriella, who can mix her love of tradition, simple clean lines and modern mainstream high-end fashion couture.
One of the most famous high society brides to wear Emilia Wickstead was Lady Charlotte Wellesley, daughter of The Duke of Wellington. She wore a dramatic off-the-shoulder waffle textured ivory gown with sweeping train.
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Gainsbourg
Whilst still relatively unknown, the Atelier is on the verge of becoming an up and coming favourite and hopefully-widely circulated couturier of high society. Princess Eugenie wore a piece by the designer to The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding – see our post on her outfit here. The designer has also created bespoke pieces for other attendees of Harry and Meghan’s nuptials.
This designer would be the perfect choice for a completely bespoke and unique wedding gown created exactly to Lady Gabriella’s styling specifications and tastes. Without any royal bride in the past having worn one of their designs, Lady Gabriella will be a trend setter.
Gainsbourg would also be a great choice of designer for mother of the bride or other wedding guests.
Some outside contenders may be Suzannah, Beulah London, Katherine Hooker, Bruce Oldfield, Anna Valentine, the latter two are both The Duchess of Cornwall’s favourite designers.
Will Gabriella get to wear a tiara on her wedding day or just choose flowers? As a bride, she is entitled to wear a tiara, and her mother of course, owns a few. Lady Gabriella may opt to choose the same Kent fringe tiara Princess Michael wore on her wedding day in 197. Or The Queen may loan her a piece – we know there is quite a collection of different tiaras now after seeing the Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara that Princess Eugenie wore on her wedding. We absolutely love a tiara moment here at Replicate Royalty, and definitely have our fingers crossed for a beautiful glittering diamond headpiece!
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What accessories will Lady Gabriella choose? Most likely a perfect bespoke white pump and matching suede clutch from the very popular Emmy London, who is frequently worn by The Duchess of Cambridge, Zara Tindall, Autumn Phillips and even Carole Middleton and Pippa Matthews.
We think that Lady Gabriella will probably choose some pearl and diamond earrings to wear on her wedding day or stones that match her tiara, if she chooses to wear one. Perhaps her parents or her fiancée will commission special pieces for her as wedding gifts. Somebody like G Collins and Sons would be perfect.
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Windsor Chapel seems to be quite the popular Royal Wedding location with a string of Royal nuptials taking place at the Chapel over the centuries. From the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Princess Eugenie to Jack Brooksbank in 2018, to Prince Charles and Camilla in 2005, and The Earl and Countess of Wessex in 1999. Even the future King Edward VII married Princess Alexandra of Denmark here in 1863.
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No matter what designer that Lady Gabriella Windsor chooses for her wedding day we know that all brides look beautiful and glowing on their special days. In the meantime while we wait in anticipation for the gown unveiling have a look at our in-depth look at other Royal Bridal gowns including Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret, here.
