The bride deserves to be the star of her own wedding, but there's always a guest (or two) who nailed their look so well that they're in danger of outdressing the main event. Royal weddings are no different, and whether by design or accident, there have been plenty of times in the past where a regal guest has come close to grabbing the limelight from the HRH in the tiara at the front. Here are 12 royal wedding guests who have (almost) outdressed the bride.
Queen Letizia of Spain
Just days before her own royal wedding in 2004, Letizia attended the marriage of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Mary Donaldson in Copenhagen on the arm of her then fiance, Felipe of Spain. This major marriage was her debut in front of European royalty and Letizia brought the wow factor with a Caprile dress matched with heirloom rubies and diamonds that almost took Mary off the front pages.
Queen Letizia of Spain
Weeks after returning from honeymoon, Felipe and Letizia attended the wedding of his cousin, Luis Gomez-Acebo, and model, Laura Ponte which took place in Segovia. While the bride wowed in a '30s-style wedding dress, newly royal Letizia grabbed everyone's attention in this standout ensemble featuring an embellished skirt and fitted jacket.
Queen Rania of Jordan
Letizia came close to being outdressed at her own wedding in 2004 in Madrid, by the royal style icon she would end up being compared to most often. Queen Rania of Jordan attended the ceremony at the Almudena Cathedral in a lilac and white two piece featuring a full-length skirt and shirt-style top. Letizia's own early gala style after her marriage bore a striking resemblance to this knockout look.
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands
Who needs a tiara to wow when you've got a dress this good? Queen Maxima of the Netherlands got everyone gasping when she attended the wedding of her brother, Juan Zorreguieta, to Andrea Wolf in this embellished lilac ball gown. While her daughters were bridesmaids at the ceremony, which took place in Vienna, their mom had her own fairytale moment with this extravaganza of a dress.
Princess Caroline of Hanover
No one does chic like Caroline! She chose this caramel dress with just enough gold to get everyone sparkling for the wedding of Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg and Stephanie of Lannoy in 2012. From the hat with a hint of a veil about it to the clever embellishments on the dress, this is a standout look that very nearly outshone stunning Stephanie.
Charlotte Casiraghi
Knockout wedding outfits clearly run in the family because Caroline's daughter, Charlotte Casiraghi, was grabbing all the looks when she attended the wedding of her uncle, Prince Albert II of Monaco, and Charlene Wittstock in 2011. Charlotte was pretty in pink with just enough edge to make this look standout from the crowds.
Princess Charlene of Monaco
Before she was even a royal, Charlene of Monaco had nailed the princess look. The wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling, in Stockholm in 2010, was billed as the biggest since Charles and Diana said "I do," and Charlene was more than ready for her close up. She chose a pale mushroom strapless gown with a diaphanous shawl that had just the hint of bridal about it. And no wonder. Just days later, she and Albert announced their own engagement.
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
Kate was just a newlywed herself when she dazzled at the wedding of Zara Phillips. Prince William's cousin married Mike Tindall in Edinburgh in 2011, but just as many eyes were on Kate as she made one of her first appearances as a fully fledged royal. She chose a cream coat dress and statement hat for the ceremony and grabbed almost as much attention as the bride.
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden
Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden won plenty of style points with her gala look for the wedding of her little sister, Princess Madeleine, to Chris O'Neill in 2013. As if the gown itself wasn't perfect enough, Victoria also wore a tiara left to her by her beloved aunt, Princess Lilian, and gave an emotional reading at the wedding itself. About as close to show-stopping as you can get.
Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece
Marie-Chantal knows a thing or three about fashion, so there were no surprises when she turned up in a seriously standout look for the wedding of her brother-in-law, Prince Nikolaos of Greece, and Tatiana Blatnik at Spetses in 2010. A host of European royals attended the event, but all eyes were on Marie-Chantal in this rose pink gown with embellished shawl.
Eva Sannum
Before meeting Letizia, Felipe of Spain was supposedly at the point of proposing to Norwegian model, Eva Sannum. When she attended the royal wedding of Crown Prince Haakon Magnus of Norway and Mette-Marit Tjessem Hoiby in Oslo in 2001, the rumour mill went into overdrive. But it's safe to say her presence would have made all the headlines even without engagement rumours after she wore this unforgettable blue gown with matching shawl and gloves to the event. She and Felipe parted company a few months later.
Infanta Elena, Duchess of Lugo
You either love or hate this outfit chosen by Infanta Elena of Spain for the marriage of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel in 2010, but there's no denying it's a scene-stealer. From the bolero jacket to the gown's knock-you-sideways-pink hue, this is a dress to remember . . . and then some. The fact that it's still being talked about, eight years after the wedding, shows just how close it came to stealing the spotlight from the bride herself.