How Princess Eugenie Broke Royal Tradition With Her Wedding Style

Princess Eugenie ditched royal traditions during her wedding to James Brooksbank, both at the ceremony and the reception to make bold statements on Friday.

During the ceremony, Eugenie did stick with tradition by wearing a custom gown by a British designer, choosing a look created by Peter Pilotto and Christopher De Vos. The design included a neckline that folded down to give the millions watching in London and around the world a look at the scar she got after her back surgery when she was 12 years old.

Eugenie battled scoliosis — a curvature of the spine — and has helped bring attention to the condition in her role as a member of the Royal Family.

“I had an operation when I was 12 on my back, and you’ll see on Friday [at the wedding], but it’s a lovely way to honor the people who looked after me and a way of standing up for young people who also go through this,” Eugenie told ITV’s This Morning before her wedding, via the BBC. “I think you can change the way beauty is, and you can show people your scars and I think it’s really special to stand up for that.”

Eugenie also took a chance with her second wedding dress, worn during the reception at Royal Lodge, Windsor. The dress was designed by American Zac Posen. Unlike the dresses Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle wore to their receptions, it was not white, notes Express. It was blush-colored and inspired by the color of an English rose, particularly the White Rose of York.

“The pin-tucked plissé is cut on the bias and mixed with signature drapes. The White Rose of York is subtlety embroidered on both the shoulder and back which hold together the cape. The silk for the gown comes from Biddle Sawyer Silk,” Kensington Palace said in a statement about the dress.

Eugenie’s reception look also included the diamond and emerald drop earrings Brooksbank gave her as a gift, and a hair slide she borrowed from her grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.

Eugenie has continued to receive well-wishes from around the world. On Sunday morning, President Donald Trump congratulated her, although she married on Friday, not Saturday.

“Princess Eugenie of York was a truly beautiful bride yesterday. She has been through so much, and has come out a total winner,” Trump wrote, possibly referring to her battle with scoliosis.

Eugenie is the daughter of Prince Andrew, Prince Charles’ brother, and Sarah Ferguson. The 28-year-old is ninth in the life on succession to the British throne, following her older sister Beatrice.

Photo credit: ANDREW MATTHEWS/AFP/Getty Images