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Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Wedding Wednesday: Princess Margriet's Gown
HRH Princess Margriet of the Netherlands and Pieter van Vollenhoven
January 10, 1967
The Hague, Netherlands
Today's gown - which inspired several questions and requests after our look at January royal brides - belongs to Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, daughter of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. Her engagement to Pieter van Vollenhoven, a Dutch commoner, was announced in 1965 but they didn't marry until 1967, after her sister Princess Beatrix's wedding.
Video: Don't miss the snow bunny bridesmaids!
Margriet worked with Dutch couturier Caroline Bergé-Farwick from Maison Linette for her wedding dress, just as her sister had. The creation is classic for the period and the season: completely covered with a high neckline and long sleeves, a slim silhouette and small train on the dress itself, and a long five meter train extending from the back. Though it looks quite simple from a distance, up close the gown is heavily embellished. Margriet, whose name means daisy, took the floral theme and ran with it.
The dress fabric came from Paris, where it was embroidered with daisies. There are hundreds of daisies covering every inch of the dress and train; the upper portion of the bodice and the train feature daisies with pearl accents. She also carried a bouquet of daisies and topped her voluminous updo with a short tulle veil and the Pearl Button Tiara - a diadem which includes buttons in the form of small daisy-esque flowers.
Her daisy excess reminds me of Princess Mabel's bow overdose - but since Margriet's is more of a subtle, embossed effect, it doesn't overwhelm like the bows did. It's a look that isn't done much justice by the photography of the time (similar to the lost detail on Queen Sofia's gown).
It was said that Princess Beatrix and Prince Bernhard weren't entirely in favor of this match, since Pieter did not come from a noble family, and did not have a title. Thankfully, time has proven those reservations incorrect. Margriet and Pieter have provided crucial support for Queen Beatrix through the years. They had four sons and have several grandchildren now, and can still be seen at many royal events.
