Much has been made of the comparison between the new Duchess of Cambridge's wedding dress and Princess Grace of Monaco's wedding dress, but many failed to comment on the inspiration this royal bride drew from the Victorian period. Although the Duchess was a rather modern bride in many ways, such as leaving her reception in an Aston Martin rather than a carriage, she paid close attention to traditional detail that hearkened back to brides of ages past.

Beginning with her Sarah Burton for Alexander McQueen gown, the Duchess was quite involved with the design. It was constructed using the same methods that were used in the nineteenth century. The floral lace appliqués were made using the Carrickmacross lace-making technique that originated in Ireland in the 1820s. Additionally, the cut and shape of the gown was constructed much like the classic Victorian hourglass figure. The narrow waist would have looked Victorian in itself but the designer added the extra detail of padding around the Duchess' hips. Along with the heavy pleating around the waist, designed to resemble an opening flower, the basic engineering of the gown was not unlike that of the mid-to-late Victorian period. The floral lace appliqués used on her dress were roses, thistle, daffodils and shamrocks. Roses are the national symbol of England. Thistle is the national symbol of Scotland. Daffodils are the national symbol of Wales as well as being a symbol of new beginnings. Shamrocks are the national symbol of Ireland.

For the flowers, the Duchess did not simply choose things that she found pretty. Everything used to decorate Westminster Abbey and the flowers carried by the bride and bridesmaids were carefully chosen for their meanings as well as their ability to sustain beyond the wedding day. The language of the flowers is a lost art form that I was very glad to see the Duchess observe in her wedding.

In her bridal bouquet, the Duchess carried Lilies-of-the-Valley, Hyacinth, Sweet William, and Myrtle. Traditionally, the Lily-of-the-Valley symbolizes sweetness and renewed happiness. Hyacinth symbolizes constancy. Sweet William, aside from the nod to her future husband, symbolizes gallantry, finesse and perfection. Perhaps the most special addition to the bridal bouquet was Myrtle, which symbolizes love, mirth and joy. Every royal bride since Queen Victoria has had a sprig of Myrtle in her bouquet. The Myrtle comes from a tree which grew from a cutting of Queen Victoria's own bridal bouquet Myrtle. Since then, each royal bride has included a sprig from the original plant in her bouquet, and they then plant their sprigs in Queen Victoria's garden as well. In fact, the tradition is that the bridesmaids plant the sprigs in the garden. Supposedly, if it doesn't root and grow, the bridesmaid who planted it will be an old maid. Luckily for them, myrtle roots very easily.

The language of the flowers continued in the elaborate eight-tiered wedding cake. It was a traditional English fruitcake with about 900 handmade sugar-paste flowers and the new monogram W with a C. The Duchess reportedly did not want a towering thin cake as royals have used in the past, nor did she want anything horribly overdone, reflecting her sensitivity to the state of the international economy. Each flower was chosen carefully by the Duchess for its meaning and her desire that the flowers tell a story throughout the wedding. This is very Victorian in attitude and her foremothers would have considered their flowers in a similar way. She chose seventeen different flowers and sent a list to the baker, who felt unsure about how to put so many flowers on one cake.

The flowers on the royal wedding cake:

Rose (white) - national symbol of England
Daffodil - national symbol of Wales, new beginnings
Shamrock - national symbol of Ireland
Thistle - national symbol of Scotland
Acorns, oak leaf - strength, endurance
Myrtle - love
Ivy - wedded love, marriage
Lily of the valley - sweetness, humility
Rose (bridal) - happiness, love
Sweet William - grant me one smile
Honeysuckle - the bond of love
Apple blossom - preference, good fortune
White heather - protection, wishes will come true
Jasmine (white) - amiability
Daisy - innocence, beauty, simplicity
Orange blossom - marriage, eternal love, fruitfulness
Lavender - ardent attachment, devotion, success, and luck

As someone who feels quite at ease with the Victorian period, the new Duchess of Cambridge's nods to very old tradition were quite heartwarming to witness.