Deborah Chan
Princess Diana's wedding dress is one of the most famous dresses in the world. Designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, the ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown featured a 25-foot train and a 153-yard tulle veil. The dress was a closely guarded secret before its dramatic unveiling at the royal wedding ceremony and became one of the most influential and recognisable bridal pieces to date. Princess Diana personally selected the designers because she was fond of a chiffon blouse they had previously designed for her.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Designer | David and Elizabeth Emanuel |
| Fabric | Silk, taffeta, antique lace |
| Color | Ivory |
| Details | Mother-of-pearl sequins, frilled lace, 10,000 pearls, 25-foot train, 153-yard tulle veil, ruffled collar, puffed sleeves, voluminous skirt |
| Accessories | Veil, silk slippers, silk shoes, tiara, bouquet, parasol |
| Back-up dress | Yes |
| Cost | $43,573 in 2023 |
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What You'll Learn
Princess Diana's wedding dress designers
Princess Diana's wedding dress was designed by the husband-and-wife team of David and Elizabeth Emanuel. The Emanuels described the dress as something that "had to be something that was going to go down in history, but also something that Diana loved" and which would be "suitably dramatic in order to make an impression".
David Emanuel is a Welsh fashion designer who, together with his then-wife, Elizabeth, designed the wedding dress worn by Lady Diana Spencer at her wedding to Charles, Prince of Wales, in 1981. The Emanuels were chosen by Diana herself, as she was fond of a chiffon blouse they had designed for her formal photo session with Lord Snowdon. The blouse, a ruffled pink top, recently fetched $381,000 at auction.
The Emanuels' creation was an ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown, with a 25-foot (7.6 m) train and a 153-yard (140 m) tulle veil, valued then at £9,000 (equivalent to $43,573 in 2023). The dress was intricately embroidered with sequins, frilled lace, and 10,000 pearls, and was valued at an estimated $115,000. It was considered one of the most closely guarded secrets in fashion history and was a complete mystery until its dramatic unveiling at the royal ceremony.
The dress was not without its challenges, however. Diana's weight loss before the wedding—she dropped from a size 14 to a size 10—meant that alterations had to be made, and the seamstress was concerned about whether the dress would fit as it should. The excessive amount of fabric also made it difficult for Diana to fit into her carriage, and the train was badly crushed despite her efforts. This accounted for the visible wrinkles in the wedding gown when she arrived at the cathedral.
The Emanuels also created a second, backup wedding gown in case their original creation was leaked to the press. This dress, also made from ivory silk taffeta, was without the antique lace and was embroidered with scalloped details along the hemline and sleeves. Tiny pearls were sewn onto the bodice, and the dress featured a V-neck, three-quarter sleeves, and a wide skirt.
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The dress's iconic status
Princess Diana's wedding dress is arguably the most iconic gown worn by a royal bride. It is one of the most famous dresses in the world and has become one of the most influential and recognisable bridal pieces to date. The dress was designed by husband-and-wife duo David and Elizabeth Emanuel and was valued at an estimated $115,000. The ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown featured a 25-foot train and a 153-yard tulle veil. The dress was embroidered with mother-of-pearl sequins, frilled lace, and 10,000 pearls. The Emanuels described the dress as something that "had to be something that was going to go down in history, but also something that Diana loved".
The dress was the subject of much anticipation and curiosity before the royal wedding, and the design was kept top secret. The Emanuels took several precautions to keep the dress a secret, including using a codename for Princess Diana and putting scraps of unused fabric in the garbage to mislead the press. The dress was not fully revealed until Princess Diana's wedding day, when she arrived at St. Paul's Cathedral wearing the voluminous gown.
The dress has sparked multiple copycat dresses over the years and continues to be recognised as one of the most iconic royal looks. The designers received requests for replicas of the dress as recently as 2011. The dress was also the subject of a documentary in 2022, further emphasising its iconic status.
The dress also holds personal significance for Princess Diana and her family. The antique lace on the gown was Princess Diana's "something old", and a small blue bow was sewn into the waistband as her "something blue". An 18-karat gold horseshoe was stitched into the petticoats as a sign of good fortune, and a square of Carrickmacross lace that had belonged to Queen Mary was attached to the gown. Princess Diana also wore the Spencer family tiara, an 18th-century heirloom.
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The veil and accessories
Princess Diana's wedding veil was a 153-yard tulle veil, which was connected to her tiara. The veil was embroidered with mother-of-pearl sequins, which were almost transparent, creating a "fairy dust effect". The veil was embroidered by Peggy Umpleby, a skilled artisan who had been working at embroidery S. Lock (now Hand & Lock) for 35 years. Umpleby was chosen by the dress designers, Elizabeth and David Emanuel, because she was trustworthy and could keep the project a secret.
The veil was not fully revealed until the final fitting at Buckingham Palace, where the full 25-foot length of the train could be unravelled. Elizabeth Emanuel described the effect as "magical", and said that "Diana looked dazzling—like a real-life fairy-tale princess bride".
In addition to her veil, Princess Diana wore the Spencer family tiara, an 18th-century heirloom, as well as a pair of silk shoes, covered in 542 sequins and 132 pearls. The dress also included a blue bow inside the bodice as the bride's "something blue", and a good luck charm: an 18-carat gold horseshoe trinket studded with white diamonds. Diana also carried a cascading bouquet of gardenias, stephanotis, freesias, orchids, lily of the valley, Earl Mountbatten roses, ivy, veronica, and myrtle.
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The dress's secrecy before the wedding
The secrecy surrounding Princess Diana's wedding dress was one of the most closely guarded secrets in fashion history. The dress was designed by the former husband-and-wife duo David and Elizabeth Emanuel, who described it as a dress that "had to be something that was going to go down in history, but also something that Diana loved". The Emanuels were the only people who knew about Princess Diana's dress, and they helped conceptualize the design of her veil.
To maintain secrecy, the designers and their small staff used a code name when referring to their famous client or when she made phone calls. Princess Diana went by the name Deborah Cornwall, with the surname perhaps inspired by one of the royal titles she took upon her marriage to the future King Charles—the Duchess of Cornwall. The Emanuels also had to shield their Brook Street shop with blinds and hire security guards from March until the July ceremony to protect the design from the paparazzi.
The details of the dress were sealed into envelopes and timed to be opened at the exact moment that the bride stepped onto the glass coach to travel from Clarence House to St. Paul's Cathedral, where the wedding was held. Princess Diana herself was not able to see the final dress and its 25-foot train until days before the big day. During the final fitting at Buckingham Palace, the design team was able to unravel the train for the first time.
The Emanuels even created a second backup wedding gown in case their original creation was leaked to the press or in case something went wrong.
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The backup dress
Princess Diana's wedding dress was one of the most closely guarded secrets in fashion history. The world was eagerly anticipating the royal wedding of Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles, which was watched by over 750 million people globally.
Designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel took every precaution to keep the dress safe and discreet, including hiring security guards, locking it in a metal cabinet, and even putting scraps of fabric in the garbage to throw journalists off the scent.
However, what the world didn't know, and neither did Princess Diana herself, was that there was a backup wedding dress. The original designers, the Emanuels, created a second gown in case their original creation was leaked to the press or in case something went wrong. This backup dress was a secret, and Elizabeth Emanuel did not want Princess Diana to know about it to avoid causing her any panic.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Princess Diana chose the husband-and-wife team of David and Elizabeth Emanuel to design her wedding dress. She selected them because she was fond of a chiffon blouse they had designed for her formal photo session with Lord Snowdon.
Princess Diana's wedding dress was made of ivory silk taffeta and antique lace. The gown featured a 25-foot train and a 153-yard tulle veil.
The dress was intricately embroidered with sequins, frilled lace, and 10,000 pearls. It had a ruffled collar, puffed sleeves, and a voluminous skirt. The Emanuels also designed matching accessories, including a parasol and silk slippers adorned with 542 sequins and 132 pearls.
Princess Diana's wedding dress became one of the most famous dresses in the world and was considered one of the most closely guarded secrets in fashion history. It was declared a "gold standard" in wedding fashion and sparked multiple copycat dresses. The dress was valued at an estimated $115,000.
Yes, Princess Diana is said to have been easygoing and did not give any special instructions to the designers. Elizabeth Emanuel described the process as "fun" and "an adventure."
