Meghan dazzles in white silk gown with Indian lotus

Meghan Markle's silk gown desgined by famed British designer Clare Waight Keller had a selection of flora, including an Indian lotus, in its five-meter-long veil as she walked down flower-bedecked nave of the iconic St George's Chapel at the royal wedding today.

The veil of Meghan's boat-necked, sculpted white dressgown represented the distinctive flora of each of the 53 Commonwealth countries united in one spectacular floral composition, Kensington Palace said in a statement.

According to the Palace, the 36-year-old "wanted all 53 countries of the Commonwealth with her on her journey through the ceremony".

Designer Keller created the veil embroidered with the flowers and petals of each one. Each three-dimensional flower is unique and was embroidered on to the five-metre train by hand, the Palace said in a statement.

"The workers spent hundreds of hours meticulously sewing and washing their hands every 30 minutes to keep the tulle and threads pristine," it said.

Markle also decided to include two of her own personal favourite flowers in the design the wintersweet, also known as the Chimonanthus Praecox and the California poppy, otherwise known as the Eschscholzia Californica.

The wintersweet flower grows in front of Nottingham Cottage in the grounds of Kensington Palace, the home of the newly-wed couple, and the California poppy is the state flower of California, where Markle was born.

India's lotus, Pakistan's jasmine and Bangladesh's white water lily were part of Meghan's silk tulle veil which had selection of flora distinctive from every member state of the Commonwealth, the statement said.

Queen Elizabeth II provided Markle with Queen Mary's diamond bandeau tiara to wear for the wedding. The diamond bandeau of the tiara was made in 1932, while the brooch at its centre was created in 1893.

Keller, the designer behind Markle's entire wedding dress ensemble, became the first female artistic director of French fashion house Givenchy last year.

The bride first met the designer at the beginning of last year and chose her to create her wedding dress due the designer's "elegant aesthetic" and "relaxed demeanour", it said.

The choice marks a strong sign of Markle's feminist views, who also chose to take the final few steps to the altar at St George's Chapel by herself after her father-in-law Prince Charles walked her down most of the way.

While the dress stood out as a simplistic design, the designer also made sure to add a touch of modernity with the three-quarter length sleeves.

The former actress chose shoes by the luxury Florentine brand Aquazzura, popular with filmstars worldwide.

Meghan wore earrings and bracelet made by Cartier.

Meghan's bouquet included Forget-Me-Nots which were Diana, Princess of Wales' favourite flower. The couple specifically chose them to be included in Meghan's bouquet to honour the memory of the late Princess on this special day, the statement said.

Prince Harry handpicked several flowers yesterday from their private garden at Kensington Palace to add to the bespoke bridal bouquet designed by florist Philippa Craddock.

Harry, 33, and the Duke of Cambridge wore the frockfoat uniform of the Blues and Royals, it said, adding that the Queen gave her permission for Prince Harry to get married in his uniform.

Both uniforms were tailored at Dege & Skinner on Savile Row.

While the four boys wore miniature version of Prince Harry's Blues and Royals frockcoat made by tailors Dege & Skinner in Savile Row, the six young Bridesmaids were all dressed in Givenchy Haute Couture by Clare Waight Keller.

Their high-waisted dresses were made of ivory silk radzimir with puffed sleeves and double silk ribbon bows at the back. Pockets and pleated skirts were chosen to give the dresses a relaxed silhouette.

The dresses were "designed to have the same timeless purity as Meghan's dress", said a Palace statement.