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Crown Princess Mary's wedding dress was mighty like Meghan Markle's

The Crown Princess is celebrating her 17th wedding anniversary

crown princess mary meghan markle wedding dress
Nichola Murphy
Deputy Lifestyle Editor
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Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and her husband Crown Prince Frederik got married at Copenhagen Cathedral on 14 May 2004. As the couple celebrate their 17th wedding anniversary, we've been looking back at their beautiful photos – and we can't help but notice that her wedding dress looks a lot like another royal bride's.

READ: Relive Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary's stunning wedding day as it happened

The future Princess, 49, opted for a beautiful ivory gown by Danish fashion designer Uffe Frank, made of duchesse satin and lined with silk organza. The scoop neckline, fitted waist and long sleeves bear similarities to the dress the Duchess of Sussex wore for her wedding to Prince Harry in 2018.

Designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, Meghan Markle's simple gown had a very similar off-the-shoulder look and was created using double-bonded silk cady cushioned by an underskirt of triple silk organza.

WATCH: 7 of the most expensive royal weddings of all time

She added a 16-feet long veil embroidered with the national flowers of each of the 53 commonwealth countries, while Mary's bridal look was finished off with a delicate antique lace veil once worn by Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden. 

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The Crown Princess' wedding dress, which featured a 19ft train, also had sentimental tributes to both her own family and Frederik's. Mary reportedly had her late mother's wedding ring stitched into the bodice of her dress near her heart, while her skirt had Irish lace that was part of the original wedding gift to Crown Princess Margaret.

prince frederik and mary wedding

Crown Princess Mary's wedding dress featured a scoop neckline and long sleeves

Mary and Frederik first met at a Sydney pub called the Slip Inn when the city hosted the Olympics in 2000.

At the time, Frederik was relaxing with the Danish sailing team, and the pair immediately hit it off. Frederik and Mary Donaldson started to date despite the long distance between Australia and Denmark, and after months of letters and phone calls, she decided to move from Australia to Denmark in December 2001.

meghan wedding dress

Meghan Markle's bridal gown had a similar neckline

On 8 October 2003, the couple became officially engaged, with Frederik presenting Mary with an emerald cut diamond flanked on either side by rubies – a colour scheme that nods to the Denmark flag.

Since their wedding, the couple have welcomed four children: Prince Christian, born in 2005; Princess Isabella, born in 2007; and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, who arrived in 2011. 

RELATED: 9 of the Queen's royal wedding rules revealed

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