Deborah Chan
Princess Diana's wedding dress is one of the most iconic bridal looks of all time. Designed by the husband-and-wife team of David and Elizabeth Emanuel, the ivory silk taffeta gown featured a 25-foot train and a 153-yard tulle veil. The dress was so voluminous that Princess Diana had to be stuffed into her carriage on the way to St. Paul's Cathedral, where she married Prince Charles in 1981. The Emanuels also created a spare wedding dress, which has since disappeared, and a matching parasol in case of rain. The dress was loaned out for exhibition in 2021 and has been the subject of multiple documentaries.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Designer | Elizabeth and David Emanuel |
| Date | 29 July 1981 |
| Location | St. Paul's Cathedral |
| Fabric | Silk Taffeta |
| Colour | Ivory |
| Train | 25 feet |
| Veil | 153 yards |
| Tiara | Spencer family tiara |
| Shoes | Silk, covered in 542 sequins and 132 pearls |
| Back-up dress | Pale ivory silk taffeta with embroidered scalloped details |
| Current location | Bequeathed to her sons, Princes William and Harry |
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What You'll Learn
The dress was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel
Princess Diana's wedding dress was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, who were the heads of the Emanuel Salon. The Emanuels were inspired by the grandeur and rich heritage of the monarchy in their previous bridal designs. Elizabeth described Diana as "lovely" and "easygoing", and said that she had not received any special instructions about how to make the wedding dress.
David and Elizabeth Emanuel studied design together at the Royal College of Art, London, and were the only married couple the College had accepted. They founded the label Emanuel, and David launched his own fashion house, Emanuel, in 1977, working in partnership with his wife Elizabeth. They became favourite designers of Lady Diana Spencer before her marriage. In addition to Diana's wedding dress, the Emanuels designed and produced several clothing items for the late Princess of Wales, including evening gowns and a blouse she wore for her official engagement portrait.
The Emanuels experienced global fame as a result of the dress. Their profile soared, and they became household names. The Emanuels opened 'The Emanuel Shop' in Beauchamp Place, Knightsbridge, London, in 1987 and sold collections at Harrods and Harvey Nichols in London, and at Henri Bendel, Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus in New York.
After their divorce in 1990, David established the "David Emanuel Couture" label, offering his clients a personal service from his private suite at the Lanesborough Hotel in Knightsbridge, London.
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It was made from ivory silk taffeta and antique lace
Princess Diana's wedding dress was made from ivory silk taffeta and antique lace. The silk taffeta was specially woven and dyed ivory by Stephen Walters of Suffolk. The dress was designed by 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 chosen by Diana because she was fond of a chiffon blouse they designed for her formal photo session with Lord Snowdon.
The Emanuels also designed a spare dress, which would have been used if the design of the original was leaked to the press. This dress was also made from ivory silk taffeta, but it did not feature the antique lace. The backup gown was embroidered with scalloped details along the hemline and sleeves, and tiny pearls were sewn onto the bodice. The dress was never needed, and its whereabouts are currently unknown.
The Emanuels also created a parasol and umbrella with matching taffeta, to be used by Diana in case of rain on the wedding day. The dress was put on display in 2021 as part of Kensington Palace's "Royal Style in the Making" exhibition, which closed in 2022.
The antique lace on the original dress was used to form the central bodice and was enhanced with thousands of sequins, including mother-of-pearl and iridescent sequins. The lace had originally belonged to Queen Mary, and was donated by her to the Royal School of Needlework. The provenance of the lace was traced to a letter dated 8 July 1981 from Margaret Bartlett, then Head of Work Room at the Royal School of Needlework, addressed to the Emanuels.
The ivory taffeta wedding dress remains an iconic garment in royal wedding dress history, with its dramatic 25-foot train and 153-yard tulle veil.
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The gown was bequeathed to her sons, Princes William and Harry
Princess Diana's wedding dress is one of the most iconic bridal looks of all time. The silk taffeta dress was specially woven and dyed ivory and featured a ruffled collar, puffed sleeves, a voluminous skirt, and a dramatic 25-foot train. The gown was designed by the husband-and-wife team of David and Elizabeth Emanuel.
The Emanuels also created a spare wedding dress, which would have been used if the design of the original was leaked to the press before the wedding. The backup dress was also made from ivory silk taffeta but without the antique lace. It was embroidered with scalloped details along the hemline and sleeves, and tiny pearls were sewn onto the bodice. However, the alternate dress was never needed, and it vanished sometime after its creation.
Princess Diana bequeathed her bespoke gown to her sons, Princes William and Harry, in her will. They officially inherited it in 2014, upon Prince Harry's 30th birthday. The brothers have since loaned out the wedding dress for exhibitions. In 2021, it was put on display as part of Kensington Palace's "Royal Style in the Making" show, which concluded in 2022.
The late Princess of Wales's wedding gown remains a fashion fixture, so much so that it became the subject of a documentary in 2025. Britain's Channel 5 debuted the TV documentary "Secrets of Diana's Wedding Dress," which revealed details about the fittings, wedding photos, and the late royal's anxieties about her relationship with Prince Charles.
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It was displayed at Kensington Palace in 2021
Princess Diana's wedding dress was displayed at Kensington Palace in 2021, as part of the "`Royal Style in the Making'" exhibition. The exhibition, which ran from 3 June 2021 to 2 January 2022, showcased the iconic gown alongside her going-away outfit, designed by David Sassoon of Bellville Sassoon. This was the first time the dress had been exhibited at Kensington Palace since Princess Diana's death.
The exhibition provided a unique opportunity for fashion enthusiasts and royal followers to get an up-close look at the dress. It was displayed in the Kensington Palace Orangery, with the 25-foot train laid out in full view. The exhibition also included original sketches, fabric swatches, and unseen photographs from the royal ceremonial dress collection.
Princess Diana's wedding dress is considered one of the most iconic bridal looks of all time. Designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel, the ivory silk taffeta gown featured a dramatic train and a veil that broke records for its length in royal wedding history. The dress was bequeathed by Princess Diana to her sons, Princes William and Harry, who loaned it to the exhibition.
The "Royal Style in the Making" exhibition explored the relationship between five significant royal designers and the clothes they created for royal clients, including the Queen Mother, Princess Margaret, and Princess Diana. It offered a behind-the-scenes look at the collaborations and design process, showcasing sketches, letters, prototypes, and interviews. The exhibition was curated by Claudia Acott Williams, who highlighted the level of detail and love that went into the creation of Princess Diana's wedding dress.
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It was an iconic moment when Diana walked down the aisle
The wedding dress was loaned by her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, to the exhibition "Royal Style in the Making" at Kensington Palace, which ran until 2 January 2022. The exhibition also included her going-away dresses and a rare surviving toile from Queen Elizabeth's coronation gown in 1937. The dress has toured for many years with the exhibition "Diana: A Celebration", with Althorp House, Northampton, being the prime display location.
The Emmanuels created a second, backup wedding gown in case their original creation was leaked to the press. This spare dress had tiny pearls sewn onto the bodice and was made of pale ivory silk taffeta with embroidered scalloped details on the hem and sleeves. It shared some features with the main dress, including a V-neck, three-quarter sleeves, and a wide skirt.
The dress Diana wore on her wedding day to Charles, Prince of Wales, in 1981 at St Paul's Cathedral, remains an iconic garment in royal wedding dress history. Over 750 million people tuned in globally to watch the royal celebration on television, while a reported 600,000 people gathered on the streets of London to witness the event. The world wanted to catch a glimpse of Princess Diana's awe-inspiring wedding dress, which has since been chosen as one of the "Most Influential British Royal Wedding Dresses of All Time" by Time magazine.
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Frequently asked questions
Princess Diana's wedding dress was last exhibited at Kensington Palace in 2021. It was loaned by her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, to the exhibition titled "Royal Style in the Making", which ran until 2 January 2022.
Princess Diana's wedding dress was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel.
The ivory taffeta dress featured a fitted bodice overlaid with antique Carrickmacross lace that once belonged to Queen Mary. It also had large puffed sleeves trimmed with bows and deep ruffles of taffeta, and a 25-foot sequin-encrusted train.
