Junior Rasmussen
Princess Diana's wedding dress is arguably one of the most iconic bridal looks of all time. The ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown, with its 25-foot train and 153-yard tulle veil, was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel and valued at $43,573 in 2023. The dress was so famous that its designers gave Princess Diana a secret code name to keep her identity private during the creation process. In 2023, the designer revealed that the actual gown is missing, and its whereabouts are unknown. Princess Diana did auction off 79 of her dresses in 1997, but there is no indication that her wedding dress was ever sold.
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What You'll Learn
- Princess Diana's wedding dress was designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel
- The ivory silk taffeta gown was valued at $43,573 in 2023
- The dress had an 18-karat gold horseshoe stitched into the petticoats for good fortune
- The dress was declared the most closely guarded secret in fashion history
- Princess Diana's dress is now missing
Princess Diana's wedding dress was designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel
Princess Diana's wedding dress was designed by the husband-and-wife duo, David and Elizabeth Emanuel, in 1981. The Emanuels headed the Emanuel Salon, which was commissioned to create the dress. The dress was made of ivory silk taffeta and antique lace, with a 25-foot train and a 153-yard tulle veil. The silk taffeta was specially woven and dyed, and the dress was hand-embroidered with mother-of-pearl sequins. It featured a ruffled collar, puffed sleeves, and a voluminous skirt. The train broke records as the longest in royal wedding history, and the entire ensemble is considered one of the most iconic gowns ever worn by a royal bride.
The Emanuels took several precautions to keep the dress design a secret before the wedding. They put scraps of unused fabric in the garbage in case members of the press tried to find clues about the dress. Additionally, the Emanuels created a second, backup wedding gown in case their original design was leaked to the press.
The success of Princess Diana's wedding dress brought the Emanuels prestige and popularity, and they continued to design garments for Diana and other members of the royal family. Elizabeth Emanuel noted in 2011 that she still received requests to create replicas of Diana's dress. In 2005, a copy of the dress made by Emanuel sold at auction for £100,000, twice its original estimated value.
The actual gown worn by Princess Diana is currently missing. In August 2023, designer Elizabeth Emanuel shared a never-before-seen photo of a woman working on the dress, but she stated that she did not know where the gown had gone. Ownership of the dress was transferred from Diana's brother to her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, in 2014. In 2018, Time magazine chose the dress as one of the "Most Influential British Royal Wedding Dresses of All Time." In 2021, it was displayed at Kensington Palace as part of the "Royal Style in the Making" exhibition.
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The ivory silk taffeta gown was valued at $43,573 in 2023
Princess Diana's wedding dress was an ivory silk taffeta gown with a 25-foot train and a 153-yard tulle veil. It was valued at £9,000 at the time, which is equivalent to $43,573 in 2023. The dress was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel and was considered one of the most closely guarded secrets in fashion history. It was first unveiled on Princess Diana's wedding day when she married Charles, Prince of Wales, at St. Paul's Cathedral in 1981.
The gown was intricately embroidered with sequins, frilled lace, and 10,000 pearls. It featured a ruffled collar, puffed sleeves, and a voluminous skirt. The silk taffeta fabric was specially woven and dyed ivory, and the lace used for trimming was antique and handmade. A small blue bow was sewn into the waistband as the "something blue" tradition, and an 18-karat gold horseshoe was stitched into the petticoats for good fortune.
The wedding dress became one of the most famous dresses in the world and has been recognised as one of the most influential and recognisable bridal pieces to date. In 2018, Time magazine chose it as one of the "Most Influential British Royal Wedding Dresses of All Time". In 2021, the dress was displayed at Kensington Palace as part of the "Royal Style in the Making" exhibition.
Although the dress was not sold, Princess Diana did auction 79 of her dresses in 1997, two months before her untimely death. The auction raised $3.25 million for charities supporting AIDS and cancer organisations.
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The dress had an 18-karat gold horseshoe stitched into the petticoats for good fortune
Princess Diana's wedding dress, designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, is one of the most iconic bridal looks of all time. 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 made of ivory silk taffeta and antique lace, with a 25-foot train and a 153-yard tulle veil. It was valued at the time at £9,000 (or $43,573 in 2023).
The dress also featured intricate details, such as an 18-karat gold horseshoe stitched into the petticoats for good fortune. This was a sweet addition to an already extravagant gown. The horseshoe was studded with white diamonds and served as a good luck charm. It was not visible in photographs or to anyone near Diana at the ceremony. The lace used to trim the petticoats was antique and handmade, and a square of Carrickmacross lace that had belonged to Queen Mary was attached to the gown.
The dress was carefully designed to be a fairy-tale look, and it certainly lived up to that description. It was a complete mystery until its dramatic unveiling at the royal ceremony. The world was captivated by the soon-to-be royal's wedding dress, which surpassed even the fame of her engagement ring. The dress was so influential that it sparked multiple copycat dresses and is still considered a "gold standard" in wedding fashion.
The dress was so voluminous that Princess Diana had to be stuffed into her carriage on the way to the ceremony, which caused wrinkles on the fabric. The excessive fabric also made it difficult for her to fit in the coach. The final fitting took place at Buckingham Palace, where there was enough space to unravel the train.
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The dress was declared the most closely guarded secret in fashion history
Princess Diana's wedding dress is arguably one of the most iconic bridal looks of all time. The dress was designed by the husband-and-wife duo David and Elizabeth Emanuel. The Emanuels were the only people who knew about Princess Diana's dress and helped conceptualize the design of her veil. The dress was a complete mystery until its dramatic unveiling at the royal ceremony.
The dress was made of ivory silk taffeta and antique lace, with a 25-foot train and a 153-yard tulle veil. The gown was hand-embroidered with mother-of-pearl sequins and an estimated 10,000 pearls. It was valued at an estimated $115,000. The dress was so anticipated that the Emanuels created a second, backup wedding gown in case their original creation was leaked to the press.
The design team wasn't able to fully show Diana her dress until the final fitting at Buckingham Palace. The dress was so voluminous that Princess Diana had to be stuffed into her carriage on the way to St. Paul's Cathedral, as the excessive amount of fabric made it difficult for her to fit in the coach. The dress was considered one of the most closely guarded secrets in fashion history.
The dress was later displayed at Kensington Palace as part of the Royal Style in the Making exhibition.
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Princess Diana's dress is now missing
Princess Diana's wedding dress is considered one of the most iconic bridal looks of all time. The ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown, with its 25-foot train and 153-yard tulle veil, was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel. The dress was so voluminous that Diana had to be stuffed into her carriage on the way to St. Paul's Cathedral, where she married Charles, Prince of Wales, in 1981.
The dress was the subject of intense curiosity and speculation before the wedding, and the Emanuels took great pains to keep it a secret. They hired security guards and even created a second wedding gown in case details of the real one leaked to the press. The dress was so closely guarded that it became one of the most closely guarded secrets in fashion history.
In 2023, Elizabeth Emanuel shared a never-before-seen photo of the dress being made. However, she revealed that the actual gown is now missing. "I don't know where it went. It just disappeared," she said.
The ownership of Diana's dress was transferred from her brother to her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, in 2014, as she had requested that her belongings be returned to them when they turned 30. It is unclear where the dress was kept during this time or what happened to it after the transfer of ownership.
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Frequently asked questions
No, Princess Diana did not sell her wedding dress. In 2014, ownership of the dress was transferred from her brother to her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Princess Diana's wedding dress was last known to be in the possession of her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. However, in 2023, designer Elizabeth Emanuel shared that the dress had gone missing and could not be located.
Yes, Princess Diana had a backup wedding dress designed by the Emanuels in case the design of the original was leaked to the press. This dress was later displayed at Madame Tussauds. Additionally, there was a second backup dress with a different design that did not feature the enormous gigot sleeves.
Princess Diana's wedding dress was an ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown, with a 25-foot train and a 153-yard tulle veil. The dress was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel and featured puffed sleeves, a ruffled collar, and a voluminous skirt. It was hand-embroidered with mother-of-pearl sequins, frilled lace, and 10,000 pearls.
Yes, Princess Diana did auction some of her dresses during her lifetime. In 1997, two months before her death, she donated 79 dresses to a charity auction in New York City, raising $3.25 million for various organizations. Auctions of her dresses have also been held after her death.
