by When Princess Diana walked down the aisle with King Charles III (then the Prince of Wales) in 1981, her extravagant wedding dress helped cement her status as a fashion icon – and set trends for years to come. to come: Mariah Carey, who married music In 1993, executive Tommy Mottola tapped Vera Wang to create a wedding dress inspired by Diana’s dress.
Ahead, learn about the history behind the iconic dress, including its designers, cost and where it is today.
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Who designed Princess Diana’s wedding dress?
Princess Diana’s wedding dress was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, also known as the Emanuels. She first fell in love with the duo after wearing one of their custom made chiffon blouses for her engagement portrait session. The pink ruffled top fetched $381,000 at a recent auction.
“When she saw our blouse on the rack she fell in love with it, asked who made it and it was directed to us,” said Elizabeth Emanuel in her 2006 book, “A Dress for Diana.”
Diana herself chose the Emanuels to design her wedding dress, which, according to Elizabeth, “was going to be something that would go down in history, but also something that Diana loved” and would ” appropriately dramatic to understand.”
What is Princess Diana’s wedding dress made of?
The dress was made from ivory silk taffeta and ancient Carrickmajor Ross lace, which had previously belonged to Diana’s great-grandmother, Queen Mary. Embroidery, sequins and over 10,000 pearls decorated his waistline, hem and train, which broke royal wedding records for a length of 25 feet.
A small blue bow was sewn into the leg band of the dress for Diana’s “something blue”, and also sewn into an 18-carat gold horseshoe for good luck.
A Look Back at Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress [PHOTOS]
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For “peace of mind,” the Emanuels designed a second dress for Diana’s wedding day. “At the time we wanted to make sure the dress was a surprise,” Elizabeth Emanuel told People in 2011. “Had the secret of the actual dress been revealed Diana could have been worn for real.”
Sketches of the back-up dress were first revealed in 2023. Also made from ivory silk taffeta – but without the antique lace – it was embroidered with scalloped detailing along the hem and sleeves. Small pearls were also sewn on the bodice. However, the alternate dress has since disappeared.
“It was really just a backup for the original and I don’t know where it went. It’s just gone,” Elizabeth Emanuel told Hello! last year.
How much did Princess Diana’s wedding dress cost?
When created, Diana’s dress was worth approximately $114,800. Today, that equates to about $448,500.
Where is Princess Diana’s wedding dress today?
In her will, Diana bequeathed her custom-made dress to her sons, Princes William and Harry. They officially inherited it in 2014, on the latter’s 30th birthday.
They have since loaned the wedding dress out for exhibition: in 2021, it was exhibited as part of a Kensington Palace show called “Royal Style in the Making,” which ended in 2022.
A Look Back at Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress [PHOTOS]
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Launch Gallery: A Look Back at Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress [PHOTOS]
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