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Princess Diana’s 1981 wedding gown is arguably one of the most iconic bridal looks of all time. When she marriedPrince Charles, Diana was only 20 years old and quickly became one of the world’s most publicized figures. In anticipation of the July 29 ceremony, fans and media outlets alike were wild with curiosity about what Diana would wear down the aisle.
DesignersElizabeth and David Emanuelwere tasked with creating the royal wedding gown and took several precautions to keep the dress a secret prior to the nuptials. According toRoyal Style in the Makingexhibit curator Matthew Storey, the team put scraps of fabric that were not used on the actual dress in the garbage in case any members of the press went looking for clues. When July 29, 1981, finally arrived, Princess Diana arrived at St. Paul’s Cathedral wearing a voluminous ivory ball gown with a sparkling veil and record breaking 25-foot train.
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In 2018, Elizabeth Emanuel, who now runs her own fashion line, toldPEOPLE, “[Diana] was just lovely, really kind of easy going. We never had any special instructions about how to make the wedding dress. That added a bit to the fun of it all, made it bit of an adventure.”
From the gown to the accessories and a secret second look, here is a complete guide to Princess Diana’s wedding dress.
Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress
Princess Diana and Prince Charles.Fox Photos/Hulton Archive/Getty
However, the train was so long that it had to be"folded like a bedsheet"to fit inside the horse-drawn carriage that transported the bride to St. Paul’s Cathedral, resulting in wrinkles.
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It was also rather cumbersome to carry:Prince Charles' goddaughterIndia Hicks, who was in charge of guiding it down the aisle with the Queen’s nieceSarah Armstrong-Jones, recalled toHarper’s Bazaarthat as Diana entered the cathedral, she told the girls, “Do your best.”
“We knew what that meant: If we pulled too much, straightening the material, her tiara and veil would slip,” Hicks said. “But if we didn’t pull enough, the effect of the train would be lost.”
The girls even practiced with a long dust cloth that they tied to Diana’s waist. “She stood patiently as we were shown how to fold and unfold the fabric so it would glide effortlessly behind her,” Hicks wrote.
In addition to including antique lace from Queen Mary as Princess Diana’s “something old,” the wedding dress also included a blue bow inside the bodice as the bride’s “something blue.” Diana put a hidden good luck charm on her dress, too: an 18-carat gold horseshoe trinket studded with white diamonds.
Princess Diana’s Wedding Accessories
Princess Diana and Prince Charles.Princess Diana Archive/Getty
Princess Diana wore theSpencer Tiaraon her wedding day, a Spencer family heirloom. The garland-style crown features diamonds shaped into tulips and stars interspersed with continuous running scrolls and was originally gifted to Diana’s grandmother, Lady Cynthia Hamilton, on her wedding day in 1919.
In addition to the tiara and hersapphire engagement ringfromPrince Charles, Diana also wore a pair of diamond earrings with a pear-shaped diamond at the center and 50 smaller ones surrounding it that belonged to her mother,Frances Shand Kydd, according toExpress.
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Finally, the bride carried a cascading bouquet of gardenias, stephanotis, odontoglossum orchid, lily of the valley, Earl Mountbatten roses, freesia, veronica, ivy, myrtle and tradescantia down the aisle.
Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress Secrets
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Diana lost so much weight in the lead-up to her wedding that five different bodices reportedly had to be made for her gown. “Most brides do lose weight,” Elizabeth toldPEOPLE. “Sowe weren’t that worried when she did. She ended up with a 23-inch waist from a 26- to 27- inch.”
Princess Diana’s Alternate Wedding Dress
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Emanuel shared that the team had constructed analternate wedding dressfor Princess Diana in case the dress design was leaked prior to the wedding. “At the time we wanted to make absolutely sure that the dress was a surprise,” the designer told PEOPLE. “Had the secret of the real dress got out it’s possible that Diana would actually have worn this one.”
The alternate dress, which was revealed for the first time in 2011, was also an ivory silk taffeta gown with the same ruffles around the neck as the original but without the signature lace. Luckily, the dress was never needed — and it was also never finished.
“We didn’t try it on Diana. We never even discussed it,” said Emanuel. “We wanted to make sure that we had something there; it was for our own peace of mind, really.”
In August 2023, Emanuel shared anever-before-seen photoof a woman working on the dress as it lay on a table.
While the designer was able to locate this rare picture, she says the actual gown is missing. “I don’t know where it went. It just disappeared,” she said.
source: people.com
