Princess Charlene's shoulder-flashing wedding dress took 2,500 hours to make – see photos

The royal bride looked incredible

10 Nov 2021, 13:42 GMT

Princess Charlene (née Wittstock) married Prince Albert II of Monaco back in 2011, and the bride wore a breathtaking wedding dress – which took a staggering 2,500 hours to create and included 40,000 crystals! Charlene looked utterly angelic on her wedding day in the jaw-dropping off-white gown which was designed especially by fashion brand Armani. See the stunning photographs…

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As far as royal brides' wedding dresses go, Charlene's has to be one of our favourites. If not for the amazing design, but also for the attention to detail. As reported by Vogue, it took "three seamstresses 2,500 hours to make [featuring] 40,000 Swarovski crystals and 20,000 mother-of-pearl teardrops".

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Speaking to the same publication, Roberta Armani, Giorgio’s niece opened up about the dress design. "My uncle wanted to make sure the dress was timeless and sophisticated," she said. "Charlene is blessed with an amazing body and spectacular shoulders, which is a fantastic base for any dress. The shade of ivory we chose suits her skin so well."

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The shoulder-baring cut is one that's quite out there for a royal bride, demonstrating Charlene's willingness to push the boundaries of fashion, but the elegant fabric and overall silhouette ensured it was just as spectacular as a regal wedding dress should be.

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The intricate pattern in glittering crystals which featured down the centre line of the gown shimmered in the light beautifully and the royal photographs demonstrate just how magical her princess gown was.

Eagle-eyed fans would have noticed that dress actually featured two trains which both looked incredible as Charlene walked down the aisle.

Charlene opted against a traditional royal tiara like many British brides have worn and instead wore glittering hairpieces fastened into her chic low bun.

The bride kept her veil simple, allowing her beautiful dress to steal the show – and boy did it work!

The royal couple had a two-part ceremony at the Prince's Palace of Monaco as well as the Sainte Devote church.

The celebrations lasted for three days and included a concert by classic rockers the Eagles and a lavish star-studded reception with high-profile guests including Prince Edward, his wife Sophie, and the likes of Naomi Campbell.