Gown designer Elizabeth Emanuel reveals everything.
Three months before Princess Diana, followed by a 20-year-old Lady Diana Spencer, who walked down the aisle to marryKing Charles III, then a 32-year-old Prince of Wales, she contacted Elizabeth Emanuel’s small design studio to inquire if she would be willing to create her wedding dress. At that moment, the young designer was given the responsibility of crafting a gown as unique as the People’s Princess. She surpassed Diana and the world’s expectations—designing what is arguably the most famous wedding dress of the last century.
Despite being truly exceptional and one-of-a-kind, the dress inspired numerous imitations and still enchants brides today. From the moment Diana entered St. Paul’s Cathedral on July 29, 1981—during a ceremony watched by 750 million people across 74 countries—the gown became widespread, but it wasn’t always like that. To enhance the charm of this central piece, the public had no idea who designed the dress or what it would look like, making it the “the most closely held secret in the history of fashionAnd, this dress is packed with mysteries.
There’s a reason why numerous books and documentaries have been created about this gown. The world was Diana and Emanuel’s to explore, as the dress didn’t come with any restrictions from the palace. They appropriately embraced ’80s maximalism, weaving many tales through tens of thousands of sequins, detailed hand-stitched embroidery, and a casual record-breaking flair. Continue reading for all the hidden details and mysteries surrounding Diana’s wedding dress, some of which Emanuel herself shared.Muara Digital Team.
All the Details
Di’s legendary wedding dress is a silk taffeta design that was colored in an ivory shade, rather than the usual bright white. It includes a lacey neckline, ruffled sleeves, puffed arms, a close-fitting top, a large ballgown skirt, subtle lace patterns, detailed stitching, 10,000 mother-of-pearl sequins, and, naturally, a remarkable 25-foot train. The main piece was a family effort, as it was created by Emanuel and her ex-husband, David Emanuel; Elizabeth Emanuel’s mother, Brahna Betty Weiner, also contributed to the embroidery.
Record-Breaking
The 25-foot train is the longest ever seen in royal wedding dress history—a record that the designers aimed to surpass. “I always wanted to include the train. We discussed it with Diana and had a little laugh. We said, ‘Let’s make it longer than anyone else’s train,'” Emanuel said.Muara Digital TeamDuring the 2024 “Styling Princess Diana” exhibit at Fotografiska, they said, “We checked it out, and by making it 25 feet, it was longer than anyone else’s. We had a lot of fun. It was a great activity.” The oversized addition presented some challenges, including having to “fold it like a bedsheet” to fit it into the carriage. Moreover, once the princess reached the cathedral, the design team and some of Diana’s bridesmaids had to help straighten it out.
Even more impressive than the train was the bride’s glittering veil, which required an astonishing 153 yards of tulle. The headpiece was meticulously stitched by Peggy Umpleby from embroidery S. Lock (now known as Hand & Lock) and adorned with 10,000 tiny pearls. Emanuel recalls it brought a “magical glow” to her fairy-tale dress.
Best-Kept Secret
Emanuel recalls her phone conversation with Di as if it happened just yesterday. Along with Diana’s request for the Emanuels to create her dress, she also insisted that it remain a complete secret. The Emanuels took Di’s request very seriously. They assigned two security guards, Jim and Burt, to guard the dress every night, locked the gown in a metal cabinet, kept the window shutters closed, and even placed fabric scraps in the trash to mislead journalists about the dress’s appearance. The Emanuels evenused a secret codename, “Deborah Cornwall,” when mentioning the princess while working on the centerpiece.
Free Reign
Emanuel remembered having full “freedom” while creating the dress—no restrictions or input from Buckingham Palace. From the beginning, they realized they “needed a large dress” to fit the vast area of St. Paul’s Cathedral, and they “wanted it to be noticeable and look very unique.” However, most importantly, they wanted it to be something Diana “truly loved.”
“It was an amazing era, the 80s. It was all about love and embellishments… the fashion we had back then was characterized by large skirts, ruffles, and similar elements,” Emanuel said. “When Diana came to visit us, that’s exactly what she loved. Our goal was to design a fairy tale princess dress.” The team looked at books and historical photographs, like Queen Victoria’s wedding gown, and created numerous sketches. However, their starting point ultimately turned out to be a dress Diana tried on from their collection, which had a fitted waist and puffed sleeves. Both the princess and the designers saw this style as the perfect solution—and from there, they worked to create a version that couldn’t be imitated.
Almost Fainted
When Emanuel first laid eyes on Diana in her wedding dress on the big day, she nearly fainted—and not in the way you might imagine. Emanuel was “shocked by the level of wrinklingin the dress. She anticipated some creases, which is typical with taffeta, but not to this extent, which was caused by folding the train.
Sewn In
Over the course of more than 90 days, the designer couple had to create the dress, and Emanuel mentioned that Diana went from a 26- or 27-inch waist to a 23-inch waist. “We kept postponing cutting the fabric because she continued to lose weight, and in the end, we just had to cut it. But we had to keep taking it in and taking it in,” she said during the Fotografiska panel. In the end, they had to sew Diana into the dress on the morning of the wedding to achieve the ideal fit. Emanuel also noted that they didn’t see the dress “properly” until the Buckingham Palace wedding, as their studio was too small to fully extend the train.
Secret Back-Up Dress
The design team prepared for every possible wedding mishap, such as the dress being stolen, set ablaze, heavily stained, or involved in another serious incident. They even created a hidden backup dress that was different from the one Diana wore down the aisle. This alternative dress featured a bright white color, sleeves that fit closely, and no train. However, it maintained the same frilly collar, ruffled cuffs, large skirt, tailored bodice, lace details, and hand-sewn embroidery as the original. Emanuel mentioned that they only completed three-quarters of the dress because they felt it was “unlucky” to finish it completely; their main goal was simply to have something as a comfort. Diana was unaware of its existence because the designers didn’t want to cause her unnecessary worry by revealing the backup plan.
Despite the exchange of vows and kisses, the Emanuels overlooked the backup dress, and in some manner, it disappeared. Nevertheless, Emanuel revived it in 2024,creating a replicabased on the “approximately 500 photographs” they captured at that time.
In 1981, the pair also created an extra skirt for the original dress and packed every item they could think of for the special occasion. “I brought things like glucose tablets, safety pins, and tissues,” Emanuel recalled. “Whatever it was, I had it in my bag in case there was a problem.” Adding to the challenge, the designers also crafted the bridesmaids’ dresses.
The Great Stain
Even a meticulously planned royal wedding can experience minor issues, and Diana’s was marked by a stain on her dress. The royal wedding’s makeup artist, Barbara Daly, described the incident in her book.Diana: The PortraitShe mentioned that while applying her favorite fragrance, Quelques Fleurs by Houbigant, Diana accidentally spilled the perfume on her dress’s skirt. Daly suggested she keep the stained area in view as she walked, so it would seem she wasn’t deliberately stepping on it, but rather to conceal the stain.
Luckily, Emanuel had prepared for situations like this—though she was unaware it had occurred. “I had no idea about [the perfume stain],” she stated.Muara Digital TeamThey didn’t inform me… I found out about it.
Something Borrowed, Something Blue
Diana adhered to all the Victorian customs on the day of her marriage. Her “something old” was a piece of Carrickmacross lace that had once belonged to Queen Mary; the remaining lace was crafted in Nottingham to resemble Queen Mary’s original design. Meanwhile, her “something new” was the wedding dress itself. Diana’s “something borrowed” was the Spencer Tiara, a cherished family heirloom adorned with diamonds arranged in the shapes of tulips and stars, which had originally belonged to her grandmother, Lady Cynthia Hamilton.
Lastly, her something blue was a small blue ribbon that the Emanuels attached to the waist of the dress, along with a tiny18-carat gold horseshoe trinketsewn into the dress for good fortune. Emanuel mentioned that the white diamond-encrusted charm was designed by renowned jeweler Douglas Buchanan, who came up with the concept. “Every detail was thought about,” Emanuel stated. “We aimed to incorporate as much British elements as possible. Even the silk for the veil… they managed to include some British silk in it. There weren’t enough butterflies to cover the entire veil, but we were able to add a few in the silk veil.”
Ethereal Accessories
The queen was, naturally, dressed in hergorgeous sapphire engagement ring. To enhance her charm, she was adorned with diamond earrings that featured a pearl-shaped diamond in the middle and 50 smaller ones encircling it, which had belonged to her mother, Frances Shand Kydd. Her enchanting Cinderella shoes were crafted by cobbler Clive Shilton; similar to her gown, they were also ivory and included a heart motif on the toe, 542 sequins, 132 pearls, and a paintedC and DWith a heart positioned just below the heel (as one might expect, for “Charles” and “Diana”), lace floral embellishments, and a low heel (so she wouldn’t loom over the groom). As a final detail, she held a bouquet containing gardenia, stephanotis, odontoglossum orchid, lily of the valley, Earl Mountbatten rose, freesia, veronica, ivy, myrtle, and tradescantia flowers. Once more, the always-prepared Emanuels had considered every detail: Emanuel mentioned they designed a matching umbrella in case of rain.
Passing Down
Following the royal couple’s wedding ceremony, the dress went on a worldwide tour, being displayed in museums and exhibitions across different countries. In 2014, as per Diana’s wishes, it was transferred to Prince William and Prince Harry, after Harry turned 30, as reported.PeopleThe gown was showcased publicly as part of the “Royal Style in the Making” exhibit at Kensington Palace from June 2021 to January 2022, following the approval of her sons to lend the piece.
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