Queen Elizabeth's Granddaughters' Fairytale Wedding Dresses, In Photos

When we think of the British royal family, and specifically Queen Elizabeth II's granddaughters, we immediately assume there must be many. But actually, the late queen only had four granddaughters: Zara Tindall, Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie, and Lady Louise Windsor. While Louise, who was born in 2003, isn't married, the other three have found their life partners. Princess Anne's daughter, Zara Phillips, married Mike Tindall in 2011, while Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor and Sarah Ferguson's first daughter Beatrice married Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi in 2020, and their second daughter Eugenie wed Jack Brooksbank in 2018.

Looking at modern royal family wedding dresses ranked by timelessness, all three of these women's dresses qualify. But they also fit the bill when it comes to fairytale wedding dresses thanks to their nipped-at-the-waist ballgown silhouettes, and extras like sparkle, gauzy fabric, and romantic necklines. These gowns are not only worthy of fairytale princesses; they're worthy of real-life ones as well.

In 2003, Zara Phillips met England rugby captain Mike Tindall. Eight years later, in July 2011, the couple said "I do" at a ceremony in Scotland. For the fairytale wedding, the bride brought in a number of experts frequently trusted by the royal family, including couturier Stewart Parvin, who designed the stunning gown. Unlike other modern royal-family brides, Zara chose some unique touches to make the look feel very individual. The gauzy tulle straps were one of the non-traditional touches — not exactly straps, but they also weren't exactly cap sleeves. The dress featured a drop-waist silhouette that ballooned out to a ballgown skirt with hidden pockets (who doesn't love a dress with pockets!). And the gathered corset-style bodice featured fabric-covered buttons that ran the length of the gown to the hem.

Also unlike some of the other brides in her family, including Kate Middleton, who had wed into the Firm earlier that same year, Zara's gown didn't have an elongated train. When it came time to choosing the right wedding veil (because there's a lot to consider), Zara went with a cathedral-length version with a short blusher over the front. And then there was the pièce de resistance: the Meander Tiara borrowed from her mother, which was a true fairytale wedding touch

On closer inspection of royal family wedding dresses ranked by their lavish price tags, Princess Beatrice's gown came in on the low end of the rankings because she repurposed one of Queen Elizabeth II's dresses. The borrowed piece was by Norman Hartnell, who also designed Elizabeth's wedding dress, as well as her sister Princess Margaret's. The Peau De Soie taffeta and organza fairytale gown featured diamanté detailing on the square neckline and bodice. That wasn't the only piece borrowed from her grandmother; she wore the Queen Mary Fringe Tiara that Elizabeth also wore on her wedding day.

Because Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi's wedding was held during the COVID-19 pandemic, it was an intimate affair with close family members and friends, held at a chapel at Royal Lodge, Windsor. Following the event, the dress was put on display at Windsor Castle for royal watchers to see.

Princess Eugenie, Queen Elizabeth II's third granddaughter, married Jack Brooksbank in October 2018 at a chapel on the grounds of Windsor Castle. For the fairytale wedding, she chose British label Peter Pilotto for her gown, which was flooded with symbolism. The long-sleeved, folded-shoulder dress featured a thistle motif for Scotland,  a shamrock for Ireland, and the York rose for England. She also borrowed her stunning headpiece, the diamond and emerald Greville Emerald Kokoshnik Tiara, from the queen.

As her older sister would do two years later, Eugenie put her dress on display at Windsor Castle following the nuptials. Per the British royal family's website, Eugenie recorded audio explaining the desire to have an open-back gown to display the scar she has from scoliosis-correction surgery at age 12. "For me it's a way of communicating with people who are going through either similar situations with scoliosis or having a scar of their own they are trying to deal with." She had previously spoken about her desire to change conceptions of beauty by proudly showing off her scar.