How Kate Middleton's Wedding Dress Was Kept A Secret (VIDEO)

It's no wonder even the biggest fashion insiders were in the dark about Kate Middleton a.k.a. Duchess Catherine's wedding dress designer. As Us Weekly's Justin Ravitz revealed to ABC News, "Next to the assassination of Bin Laden, this is the most closely guarded international secret in recent memory."

So how did Team Royal Wedding prevent the fashion Twittersphere and Julian Assange alike from figuring it out? By not even telling the dressmakers themselves.

"The lacemakers working on the dress were told that they were simply working on a dress for a period British costume drama," Ravitz said, adding that the majority of the McQueen seamstresses were also unaware of their client when sewing the dress. The only members of the design team who knew of the gown's royal destiny were Sarah Burton, creative director of McQueen, and her most trusted senior designers. Everyone signed non-disclosure agreements, the dress was entirely constructed in a secret room of Buckingham Palace, and as an extra precaution, "Senior members of the house of McQueen were told to straight-out lie and deny if asked pointblank whether Kate Middleton was their client."

So duplicitous, those royal designers.

WATCH:

Comments

[Wang Peihua]

05:03 AM on 05/16/2011

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[nana4g]

11:05 AM on 05/07/2011

This was the most beautiful wedding gown in recent history. I loved everything about it, especially the back "bustle". I loved her veil, too.

[Tuula Westra]

10:08 AM on 05/06/2011

abxnomore.... those pointed breastcups should have been softend.... Miss Catherine, do not pay any attention, this a prude/puritan view. God save our geacious Queen, long livre our noble Queen.

[damtaxes7]

10:02 AM on 05/06/2011

To bad they didn't hide it in a closet and not bring it out. Kate should have chosen something more stylish like the dress her sister Pippa wore. Very unusual when the maid of honor dress is better than the bride's.

[GraniteSkyline]

09:44 AM on 05/07/2011

All princess brides are hampered by royal tradition--nothing strapless, nothing revealing, no cleavage, no bare shoulders, no revealing slits--they keep it very traditional and bland.

Google any royal wedding of the last 30 years and behold the blandness!

[nana4g]

11:10 AM on 05/07/2011

I disagree. I thought both dresses were beautiful. I do not think Pippa's dress would have been appropriate for this bride. The bride had final say on the dress Pippa wore and I love that she wanted her sister to look beautiful. I don't think anyone can "outshine" a bride; the total effect was beautiful. Those "Middleton" girls are lovely. The Mother was very graceful and poised and beautifully dressed.....guess there's a lot to say for a woman who learned poise and a certain amount of decorum as an "airline stewardess" and she taught her daughters well. As did their Father. I am very happy for William.

[thepetermedic]

09:32 AM on 05/06/2011

easy question people kept thier mouths shut which is very hard for some gossip people

[Galgo]

03:25 AM on 05/06/2011

That makes no sense. If they weren't told they were working on the royal dress, why would they be asked to sign nondisclosure statements? If they knew nothing, what would they disclose? And wouldn't having to sign a document like that raise their suspicions about the project? It sounds like the fashion reporters who guessed wrong about the dress are furiously constructing excuses for their failure. Oh well, I suppose they have to make a living too.

[Hug An Ewok]

06:22 AM on 05/06/2011

The ones who DID know had to sign non disclosure agreements....

[andietim2]

10:42 AM on 05/06/2011

Her trusted senior designers who knew about the dress had to sign the nondisclosure statements. Read the story.

[Galgo]

12:05 PM on 05/06/2011

The text is ambiguous - after mentioning several groups of people, it says 'everyone signed ...", making both interpretations possible. But looking back, I think you're right, and that does make more sense. Thanks for pointing that out.

Having said that, I'm pleasantly surprised that my comment hasn't been erased. The author, Ellie Krupnick obviously doesn't mind when people comment critically or even negatively - unlike some of the other bloggers on this site, who erase any comment that isn't a stream of fawning praise. What a breath of fresh air.

[beadingchef]

09:51 PM on 05/05/2011

Good for them, Kate is a smart woman, she kept her secret, the dress was beautiful, she looked lovely, and I wish them much joy and happiness. Boo to all the haters!

[ABXNOMORE]

08:16 PM on 05/05/2011

May be if others had seen it they could have provided design advice and a better product could have been produced. May be those pointy molded breasts cups on the bodice could have been softened to meld into the dress better to give a more elegant graceful look. Instead those molded breast cups stuck out awkwardly as opposed to softly blending into the dress.

[AmigaMan]

11:08 PM on 05/05/2011

Pointy breasts are nice. :)

[GraniteSkyline]

09:47 AM on 05/07/2011

The dress looked stiff, rigid, and uncomfortable--pretty though, just not comfortable.

[ABXNOMORE]

10:00 AM on 05/07/2011

It looked stiff and rigid because nothing looked soft, graceful or delicate about the entire look. Even she looked harsh.