The major difference between Kate and Meghan’s wedding dresses

We can all agree both Kate Middleton's wedding dress and Meghan Markle's dress are stunning in their own ways - though one of them was voted the most popular royal wedding dress of all time by the public.

Kate's was of course designed by Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen and was made of ivory and white satin gazar, with the skirt mimicking an ‘opening flower’ thanks to white satin gazar arches and pleats.

Meanwhile, Meghan's was designed by Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, crafted from pure white silk cady, with a full skirt.

Both dresses had some similarities - long sleeves, full skirt, cinched at the waist - but they also had a main difference: the neckline.

Kate's dress had a corseted bodice, overlayed with lace which crept up all the way to her neck, while Meghan's had a bateau neckline with delicately showed off her shoulders and neck.

Though obviously far from a plunging neckline, Meghan's gown was more daring than Kate's, and according to royal expert Harriet Castle, this was because the Duchess of Sussex was in a better position to take risks.

This was all down to the fact that she wasn't marrying the heir to the throne, and therefore had fewer restrictive style rules.

She told the Daily Express, 'Both of their wedding dresses were stunning and really reflected both of their styles and positions in the family perfectly. The neckline is one major differing point. Kate went for a v-neck, which kickstarted a trend among brides at the time. Her look overall was cleaner, whereas Meghan took more risks. Meghan’s boatneck design was seen as a bit more risqué for a royal wedding, but it suited her perfectly.'

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.