Kate Middleton stepped out of a vintage Rolls-Royce Phantom and into the pages of royal and fashion history in a bridal gown designed by Sarah Burton for one of the country's most famous labels, Alexander McQueen.
Miss Middleton's arrival at Westminster Abbey revealed the dress to an estimated two billion television viewers - its sumptuous simplicity suggesting the timeless elegance of Princess Grace, a friend to Diana, Princess of Wales. The dress was regal perfection for a queen-to-be, and, in the tradition of Queen Victoria, made the most of the best of British with fabrics especially sourced by Miss Burton.
The design of the long-awaited dress combined majesty and modernity, royal heritage and romantic history, passion and pageantry.
In one bridal gown, Miss Burton had managed to encompass a rich cavalcade of history stretching back almost 200 years, while, at the same time projecting royal style into the 21st century.
Fabulous, fashionable and fairytale, the dress featured a strapless, Victorian-style corset, narrowed at the waist and padded at the hips - long a signature of the late couturier, Alexander McQueen's designs - underneath a high-necked, long-sleeved, sculpted bodice in the lace, which had been hand-engineered using the Carrickmacross technique, which originated in Ireland in the 1820s. The lace was also used to trim the skirt, veil and shoes.
The main body of the skirt in ivory and white satin gazar was designed by Miss Burton to echo an opening flower with soft pleats which unfolded to the floor and finished in a 9ft train.
The bouquet spoke a message in the language of flowers. Designed by Shane Connolly, it featured blooms of significance to both families: lily-of-the-valley, meaning return of happiness; sweet william for gallantry; hyacinth for constancy of love; ivy for fidelity, marriage, wedded love, friendship and affection; and myrtle, the emblem of marriage and love.
The gown worn by Pippa Middleton, the maid of honour, was also designed by Miss Burton at Alexander McQueen, and was in heavy ivory, satin-based crepe, with cowl front and with the same button detail and lace trim as the bridal gown. The four young bridesmaids' dresses were designed to echo the bride's dress, and were handmade by Nicky Macfarlane, the children's wear designer, and her daughter, Charlotte.
The pages wore a uniform in the style of that worn by a Regency foot guards officer and were designed in the Royal household and made by Kashket and Partners, which also fitted Prince William's uniform for the wedding.
The first glimpse of Miss Middleton's spectacular gown confirmed forensic analysis of the "mystery woman" spotted entering the Goring Hotel yesterday and the conclusion "she" was indeed Miss Burton, the woman who designed the wedding dress of the century.
"You look beautiful", Prince William whispered as his bride reached the high altar in Westminster Abbey. Two billion royal wedding watchers around the world would agree.