A look back at the most beautiful historic royal wedding dresses

We've witnessed plenty of spectacular royal wedding dresses in recent decades, from Princess Diana's puff sleeves to Kate Middleton's Alexander McQueen lace and Meghan Markle's Givenchy gown.

But look a little further back in royal history and you'll find some equally beautiful bridal looks.

Scroll through the gallery to see some of the most gorgeous designs dating back to the 1800s and early 1900s.

Queen Victoria, pictured here in a wedding portrait by Franz Xaver Winterhalter, married Prince Albert at St James' Chapel in 1840.

She wore a white satin and Honiton lace gown, featuring a full skirt and sculpted bodice. It proved an influential choice. Victoria is credited with popularising white wedding dresses; at the time, colourful dresses were the norm.

"Victoria had chosen to wear white mostly because it was the perfect colour to highlight the delicate lace," noted biographer Julia Baird.

Following the wedding, the lace-makers of England were "thrilled by the sudden surge in the popularity of their handiwork", Baird adds.

The future Queen Alexandra married Albert, the Prince of Wales — later King Edward VII — in St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle in 1863.

Alexandra's white satin wedding dress, the first royal bridal gown to be captured through photography, was manufactured in England and featured a long train.

It was trimmed with myrtle and artificial orange blossom, and featured Honiton lace and tulle. The veil was trimmed with lace and included floral motifs from England, Ireland and Scotland.

The youngest daughter of Queen Victoria, Princess Beatrice wed Prince Henry of Battenberg in July 1885.

Beatrice's wedding gown featured plenty of lace, as she was a big fan of the fabric.

The white satin dress was trimmed with orange blossom and lace, with a lace overskirt and lace on the neckline and sleeves.

Queen Victoria also loaned her the Honiton lace veil she wore on her own wedding day — a privilege she didn't extend to her other daughters.

Princess Helena of Waldeck and Pyrmont married Prince Leopold — son of Queen Victoria — at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle in 1882.

The Duchess of Albany wore a white satin gown decorated with orange blossom and myrtle, which she also wore in a wreath on her head. It also featured a fleur-de-lis trimming, and tulle and lace on the V-cut bodice.

The dress also included a bouquet at the centre of the bodice, and various royal pins on the sleeves.

Princess Louise — younger sister of King George V — wed Alexander Duff, 6th Earl Fife at the Private Chapel in Buckingham Palace in 1889. They became the Duke and Duchess of Fife.

She wore a dress of white satin, trimmed with orange blossoms, with a long train.

Princess Mary of Teck wed Prince George, the future King George V, at the Chapel Royal in St James' Palace in 1893.

Mary wore a court dress in ivory silk satin brocade, created by London designers Linton and Curtis.

The weave of the silk featured ivory and silver thread and motifs roses, thistles and shamrocks with lovers' knots.

The gown was trimmed with Honiton lace and artificial orange blossom. Mary also wore the lace veil her mother wore to her wedding.

Princess Maud of Wales married Prince Carl of Denmark (later King Haakon VII of Norway) in the Private Chapel of Buckingham Palace in 1986.

Designed by Rosalie Whyte, her white English satin wedding dress featured a long train and chiffon and floral embellishments around the hemline. The waistline featured diamond and silver embroidery.

The bride wore her mother's wedding veil and flowers in her hair.

Princess Mary wed Henry Lascelles (Viscount Lascelles) at Westminster Abbey in 1922.

Her dress was designed by Messrs Raville in cloth of silver, with an ivory silk train embroidered with floral emblems of the British Empire.

Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon — later Queen Elizabeth and the Queen Mother — wed Prince Albert, the future King George VI, at Westminster Abbey in 1923.

Her dress, designed by Madame Handley-Seymour, featured a fashionable drop-waist and two trains.

The ivory chiffon moiré used for the gown was dyed to match the shade of the veil Elizabeth wore, which was loaned to her by mother-in-law Queen Mary.

Princess Marina of Greece wed Prince George, Duke of Kent in 1934, in ceremonies at Westminster Abbey and Buckingham Palace.

The glamorous bride wore a long-sleeved Edward Molyneux dress of white silk and silver lamé brocade, which featured a floral design.

Marina completed her wedding day outfit with the veil her mother and sister had worn for their weddings.

Lady Alice Montagu Douglas Scott wed Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester in the Private Chapel of Buckingham Palace in 1935.

Alice wore a dress designed by Norman Hartnell, who also created Queen Elizabeth's wedding gown — and the evening gown Princess Beatrice would borrow for her 2020 wedding.

The sleeved satin dress was a blush pink colour, with artificial orange blossoms across its high neckline. Alice's veil was made of tulle rather than lace.

Princess Ingrid wed Frederick, Crown Prince of Denmark and Iceland at Stockholm Cathedral in 1935.

Infanta Beatriz of Spain wed Prince Alessandro Torlonia at the the Church of the Gesù in Rome in 1935.

Beatriz, known as Princess of Civitella-Cesi after her wedding, wore a dress featuring a 20-foot train.