Meghan Markle, 37, became the Duchess of Sussex four months ago when she married Prince Harry.
One of the most iconic wedding ensembles of all time, Meghan wore a custom-made Claire Waight Keller for Givenchy gown.
On her head she wore a 16 and a half foot veil, also designed by Claire and made entirely by hand.
In a new documentary, Meghan has now revealed that the veil also had a hidden meaning and that it had a nod to her first ever date with her now husband.
Talking in the documentary, Queen of the World, Meghan is seen coming face-to-face with her stunning wedding gown for the first time since tying the knot.
While she stands in awe at the stunning creation, she also reveals that the veil has a hidden meaning.
“Somewhere in here there’s a piece of blue fabric that’s stitched inside — it was my something blue,” Meghan grins while gingerly running her fingers through the veil.
“It’s fabric from the dress that I wore on our first date.”
Meghan and Harry are reported to have met in London back in 2016, where they were introduced by a mutual friend.
In their 2017 engagement interview, the couple spoke about how they were set up, and how their relationship then ensued.
Talking about her set up with the Prince, Meghan said: ”I didn’t know much about him, so the only thing that I had asked [our mutual friend] when she said that she wanted to set us up, was, ‘Well is he nice?’ Cause if he wasn’t kind, it just didn’t seem like it would make sense.”
When sparks flew, the now married couple started dating. “We met for a drink,” said Meghan, “and then I think very quickly into that we said, ‘Well what are we doing tomorrow? We should meet again.'”
We now know that Meghan wore a blue dress for the occasion, being sewn into her wedding veil almost two years later.
The Duchess’ stunning veil also has another hidden meaning, being decorated with the 53 flora of the Commonwealth.
Claire Waight Keller created a veil ”representing the distinctive flora of each Commonwealth country united in one spectacular floral composition.”
In the documentary, which airs Tuesday night, Meghan is seen still marvelling at the craftsmanship behind the garment.
Looking at the delicate lace veil she gasped, “53 countries, oh my goodness.”
A huge smile then appears on her face, as she runs her fingers over her wedding garment.
Admiring the beautiful veil she then joked: “That will keep us busy.”
Meghan is seen gingerly touching the costly garment, with the dress and veil combined coming in at around £387,000.
Who is Meghan Markle? Quick profile
Meghan Markle was born Rachel Meghan Markle, on August 4, 1981 to parents Doria Ragland and father Thomas Markle.
Her father was previously married to Roslyn Loveless and Meghan has two elder half sibling – sister Samantha Markle and brother Thomas Markle Junior.
Actress
Meghan’s first television appearance in the USA was in an episode of the medical drama General Hospital in 2002.
She later moved on to roles in CSI, Without a Trace and Castle along with bit parts in Hollywood films including Get Him to the Greek, Remember Me and Horrible Bosses.
Meghan was also a “briefcase girl” on Deal or No Deal – but her most famous role was as Rachel Zane in legal drama Suits, which launched in 2011.
She was written out in the finale of the seventh series when her character got married, which aired in April 2018 – just before she got married herself.
Charity and humanitarian work
Meghan Markle’s career in television has gone hand-in-hand with her support for causes close to her heart.
She wrote about the stigma around menstrual health in an article for Time magazine and was a Global Ambassador for World Vision Canada – with whom she travelled to Rwanda for the charity’s Clean Water Campaign.
And her commitment to gender equality has seen her work with the United Nations – receiving a standing ovation in 2015 for her speech to mark International Women’s Day.
Relationships
In September 2011, she wed film producer Trevor Engelson, who she began dating in 2004.
But the pair divorced two years later in August 2013, citing irreconcilable difference.
She was in a relationship with celebrity chef Cory Vitiello for almost two years, before they broke it off in 2016 but the two remain good friends.
And in June 2016, she met Prince Harry on a blind date set up by a mutual friend.
Their relationship began in October that year and just over one year later, on November 27, 2017, the pair announced their engagement.
They married on May 19, 2018 at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
Meghan’s heritage
Some have claimed Meghan Markle is the first mixed-race member of the Royal Family.
Historians are still arguing about Queen Charlotte, the wife of King George III.
But Meghan will be the first royal to openly embrace a mixed-race heritage.
She has written about the difficulties of being a biracial actress in Hollywood as she claims she is not black enough for some roles and not white enough for others.