Norman Hartnell designed Princess Margaret’s wedding dress for her 1960 marriage to Antony Armstrong-Jones.
Hartnell created a relatively simple white silk organza gown with a fitted bodice, a full skirt and a long, plain train. The uncluttered design allowed Margaret’s diamond tiara and veil to stand out, giving the outfit a modern appearance compared with the heavily decorated royal gowns of earlier decades.
Princess Margaret married photographer Antony Armstrong-Jones at Westminster Abbey on 6 May 1960. The ceremony was televised internationally and became one of the first major royal weddings to receive extensive television coverage.
The dress is sometimes described as minimalist, although its full skirt and structured construction still reflected formal mid-century couture. Hartnell had already designed Queen Elizabeth II’s 1947 wedding gown, making Margaret’s dress a second major royal bridal commission for him.