10 Facts You Didn't Know about Princess Diana's Wedding Dress
L'OFFICIEL reveals the story behind one of the most memorable pieces in British Royal history: the dress Diana Spencer wore to marry Prince Charles.
Over the years, several fashion looks have marked the history of British Royalty, and without a doubt, Princess Diana's wedding dress is one of them. The extravagant piece—which was created from over 10,000 pearls, ruffles, and sequins—is still remembered by Lady Di fans with great affection. Below, find 10 fun facts you might not know about the famous dress.
It was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel
While the whole process for Royals to determine which powerful brand might design their wedding dresses may seem exhausting today, for Diana the situation was quite simple. In an interview with Tatler, Welsh fashion designer David Emanuel revealed that Lady Di called his company and made an appointment like any other client.
Diana did not break the rules of royalty
Indeed there is a long-standing tradition for brides to wear "something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue." Diana followed these rules to a tee on the day of the ceremony, using as an old piece of lace that belonged to Queen Mary, something new—her dress—and something borrowed, her family's tiara. For her item of blue, she added a stunning blue bow.
There was a lucky charm on the dress
Inside Princess Diana's wedding dress, she wore an 18k gold horseshoe as a lucky charm for the Royal couple.
The details were kept top secret
There is no doubt that Princess Diana's wedding dress would cause great media curiosity. When it was announced that David and Elizabeth Emanuel would be the designers for the big day, protective measures needed to be taken into effect so that details of the piece were not discovered and the surprise was not ruined. As they worked the designers had to store samples of their fabrics and designs in a protected safe. "It seems a bit over the top, but it really looked like people were going to do anything to find out what the dress looked like," Elizabeth told MetDaan.
The dress was stained
Accidents happen to anyone, don't they? Supposedly, Diana's most important dress was stained. In the book Diana: The Portrait, makeup artist Barbara Daly revealed that the then-future Princess accidentally spilled her signature perfume on her own dress before the ceremony.
A large veil
Princess Diana's wedding dress reflected the extravagance of brides in the '80s, with puffed sleeves and a lot of fabric. But her veil, without a doubt, gained prominence in production. It was 153 meters long!
The dress barely fit in the carriage
With such an extravagant wedding dress, it was difficult to transport Diana to St. Paul's Cathedral, where the wedding took place. According to Elizabeth in an interview with the Daily Mail, the piece had to be folded several times for the bride to get to the wedding venue.
The piece was sewn with Princess Diana inside
Lady Di lost a lot of weight before her wedding, which meant that the dress needed to be sewn with her inside. But for many brides with intricate designs, such is the norm.
A matching umbrella was created
What if it rained on the big day? Diana would need to have a perfect umbrella to protect herself, and her designers made sure of that. Elizabeth revealed that the garment was adorned with the same fabric as the dress in addition to pearls and sequins.
The shoes were also tailored
For a big event like a royal wedding, there is nothing more natural than having all the pieces well elaborated and designed especially for the occasion. Lady Di's shoes would be no different. According to the Daily Mail, the shoes took six months to produce and, of course, they were powerful! With 132 pearls and 542 sequins, they're historical.
