KATE Middleton stunned the nation when she tied the knot with Prince William in 2011.

Her wedding dress has become one of the most iconic gowns in history.

Who designed Kate Middleton’s wedding dress?

The British fashion designer Sarah Burton designed Kate’s iconic wedding dress.

She is the creative director for the label and luxury fashion house of Alexander McQueen.

Designs for the gown were kept under wraps – but were leaked ahead of the big day leaving Kate in tears.

The Princess of Wales’ shoes were also designed by Sarah Burton for McQueen and were made of ivory duchesse satin with lace hand-embroidered by the Royal School of Needlework.

The Daily Mail reported Sarah said: “We wanted to look to the past, yet look to the future as well.

“There were a lot of references to Victorian corsetry, the padded hip, the tiny cinched-in waist, and also to the arts and crafts movement with all of the hand-work on the lace of the dress and also the bustle inside to create the shape of the back of the dress.”

She said she wanted to create “something that was incredibly beautiful” for the special day.

“A lot of it is in the subtlety of the detail, the handcrafted lace, and the cuts and the shapes and the folds involved in the construction of the dress, yet we still had to remember it was in Westminster Abbey so it still had to have a presence.”

How much did it cost?

The wedding dress is estimated to have cost £250,000, which makes it one of the most expensive dresses ever made.

Many details were included on the gown such as an ivory satin bodice with lace applique, with a floral pattern, and long lace sleeves.

The back of the dress had 58 button and in total the skirt, underskirt and bridal train measured a staggering 8ft8ins long.

Workers from The Royal School of Needlework worked on the dress and it was reported they were initially told it was for a TV costume drama.

Where is it now?

The wedding dress went on display at Buckingham Palace from July until October 2011.

Record numbers wanted to see the dress which was on display as part of the Palace’s annual summer exhibition.

Tickets at the time cost £17.50 each, and the display broke attendance records with more than 600,000 people going to see it.

The late Queen was one of the many attendees to view the dress, at a sneak preview before it was opened to the public, but she was apparently less than impressed.

However, it seems she wasn’t impressed as she said the display was “horrible” and “horrid”.

But Kate said that the 12 spotlights created a “3D effect”.

Following the exhibition it is thought the dress was put into storage.

The Telegraph quoted a royal aide saying: “Upon curatorial advice the decision has been made with the Duchess’ consent that the dress will go into storage in the Royal Collection following the display at Buckingham Palace.

“The Duchess is very proud of the creation and its showcasing of British craftsmanship and she is keen to continue to show off the dress, so it will be on display again in the future at an appropriate time.

“But it is delicate and in order to lengthen its life span, the dress cannot be trailed around the world like any art object.”

Kate had a second wedding dress for the reception which was more comfortable.