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How Princess Beatrice's sustainable wedding was a sign of change

Princess Beatrice was the first royal bride in history to wear a second-hand dress…

princess beatrice sustainable wedding
Georgia Brown
Senior Lifestyle & Fashion Writer
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Princess Beatrice is one of the most forward-thinking royals when it comes to sustainability. From wearing a second-hand dress at her own wedding to recycling the shoes she wore at the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge's nuptials, the new mother is certainly conscious of her own carbon footprint.

SEE: Princess Beatrice's trailblazing pandemic wedding – all the secret details

Beatrice and Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi tied the knot in July 2020 in a small ceremony limited to close friends and family, and welcomed the birth of their daughter shortly after in September 2021. Praised for her revolutionary trend-setting for contemporary brides, Princess Beatrice is rapidly becoming the most sustainable bride in royal history.

WATCH: 10 times the royal family have recycled their looks

Discover how the royal mother's eco wedding was a sign of change below…

Princess Beatrice's wedding dress

Although Princess Eugenie made sure her wedding was as eco-friendly as possible by banning the use of plastic at her ceremony, her younger sister Beatrice challenged royal tradition and opted to wear one of the Queen's old dresses.

Beatrice wore a vintage Norman Hartnell gown belonging to her grandmother The Queen – making her the first ever royal bride to opt for a second-hand wedding gown.

princess beatrice wedding dress

Princess Beatrice alongside her wedding dress at Windsor Castle

The breathtaking, ivory embellished gown wasn't originally designed as a wedding dress and was given a few subtle adjustments, including the addition of organza sleeves. The sentimental choice was truly perfect for such a unique and understated royal wedding.

RELATED: 10 stylish sustainable wedding dresses for ethical brides

Princess Beatrice's wedding shoes

The 31-year-old royal saw little point in buying a new pair of shoes for her wedding day, so opted to re-wear the same satin Valentino heels she wore to Kate Middleton and Prince William's wedding back in 2011.

princess beatrice custom valentinos

The royal recycled her custom Valentino heels for her own wedding

Princess Beatrice's wedding accessories

It's not unusual for jewellery to be passed down from one royal family member to the next, and Beatrice's wedding accessories were no exception. The Princess donned a stunning diamond fringe piece from the Queen's archive, which Her Majesty wore to marry the Duke of Edinburgh – also keeping the "something old" and "something borrowed" wedding traditions alive.

MORE: 9 times the royals made sustainable fashion choices

Princess Beatrice's wedding breakfast

Eco-bride Beatrice wasn't just focused on sustainable fashion for her big day, as the royal kept her ceremony extremely small – keeping things intimate and limiting unnecessary waste.  

The ceremony was catered for by Spook London, who write on their website: "Our food and drink is driven by quality, simplicity and seasonality while our service is personal and efficient," meaning Beatrice's menu likely used seasonal produce for a lower environmental impact.

beatrice wedding the queen

The royal had a small guest list at her wedding

It seems Beatrice could be about to start a revolution among brides-to-be, according to Princess Diana's wedding dress designer David Emanuel, who upcycled Beatrice's gown alongside ex-wife Elizabeth Emanuel. He believes the royal's choice of a second-hand piece will spark a new trend for brides making their "something borrowed" the dress itself.

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