Royal brides who wore Valentino on their wedding day

Princess Madeleine of Sweden

Valentino had been in retirement for five years when he was commissioned to design Princess Madeleine of Sweden's stunning wedding dress. The pregnant royal, who is due to give birth in the next month or so, was quite the angelic vision at her wedding to businessman Chris O'Neill last year.

Madeleine's gown was fashioned from pleated silk organza with appliquéd ivory-hued Chantilly lace. The upper section of the bodice was also made of lace and featured a deep-cut back. Narrow vertical pleats opened up from the accentuated waist, above the wide skirt, which ended with a four-metre-long train.

But the talking point had to be Madeleine's incredible veil, also made from silk organza, which trailed almost five metres long. The beautiful veil was edged with tulle, point d'esprit dots and small Chantilly lace orange blossom.

Madeleine completed her bridal look with a privately owned tiara that was decorated with sprigs of orange blossom. An oversized bun that sat at the nape of her neck finished off the elegant effect.

Valentino looked back on the designing experience with joy, saying, "It was just so easy. She is a very lovely girl. She is modern, full of energy and enthusiasm, and she is so beautiful. It has been a pleasure and an honour."

Queen Máxima of the Netherlands

Queen Máxima and her mother-in-law, the then Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, travelled especially to Valentino's studio in Rome to discuss their requirements for a gown that would take people's breath away.

Valentino certainly lived up to his reputation, creating a long-sleeved cowl necked confection, made of heavy ivory Mikado silk that kept Máxima warm on her February nuptials. The gown flared out slightly from the waist, emphasising her neat figure.

Máxima's five-metre train was made from the same regal fabric and inset with panels of embroidered lace. The Argentine-born beauty finished her look with a silk tulle veil featuring hand-embroidered flower and tendril motifs, and was held in place with a diamond tiara.

Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece

Twenty five seamstresses were said to have worked on Princess Marie-Chantal's wedding dress, designed by Valentino. The London-born beauty wowed in an ivory silk gown at her 1995 wedding to Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece.

The wedding dress was studded with rose appliqués and finished with a lace bodice and sleeves, decorated with more floral motifs. Twelve different kinds of lace were used to complete the fairytale creation.

To top it off, Princess Marie-Chantal wore one of Queen Anne-Marie's glittering tiaras, which held her four-and-a-half metre Chantilly lace veil in place. The veil featured a scalloped edge and beautiful butterfly embroidery.