The Royal Wedding Continues to Charm

It seems like forever ago since Kate Middleton lived out the dream of little girls everywhere by marrying her prince and stepping into her new role as future monarch of Great Britain. So familiar have images of loved-up Kate and Prince William become that a time when they weren’t blissfully wed has become a distant memory.

It’s doubtful that the Royal Wedding, which took place on April 29, will be forgotten anytime soon though. The special day will go down in history for obvious reasons but fashion fans will remember it as a catwalk spectacle on the hugest possible scale. The bride looking radiant in a dress designed by Sarah Burton of Alexander McQueen, guests (including style icon Victoria Beckham and hat-happy Princess Beatrice) making an impression, and – of course – little sis Pippa Middleton scoring admirers around the world in that white dress.

The global interest in the event has manifested itself in the form of fashion items that everyone can enjoy. Summer brides-to-be are taking a lot of cues from the bride of the year, with replica dresses available at budget prices. It’s not just the wedding dress that has caught the imagination though, with Royal Wedding-themed jewellery also continuing to charm...

Following the announcement of the engagement in 2010, which saw Kate wear the 18ct blue sapphire and white diamond ring passed down to William from Princess Diana, similar rings have started to trend with blue CZ offering a cheap and cheerful alternative to the gem stone. Although the ring given to Kate on her big day is made from rare Clogau gold, wedding rings containing the Welsh gold remain available.

Meanwhile, fans of Pandora jewellery – and especially Pandora charms  – can keep a memory of the special day forever with a commemorative bead. The sterling silver heart has a sparkling blue stone at its centre and even features the happy couple’s initials ‘C & W’ engraved on the back. It’s only available until October so any collectors of limited edition Royal Wedding paraphernalia will want to get theirs quick sharp.

So, while the nuptials of the year, the decade, perhaps even the century are a thing of the past, they’ll continue to live on as a cultural event that defined 2011. Now, if only Prince Harry would hurry up and pop the question so we could enjoy the romance, the glamour and – yes – the fashion all over again.