Princess Diana’s wedding dress left the designer ‘horrified’ on the big day
Princess Diana’s wedding dress featured thousands of pearls and pretty puff sleeves, but did you spot this detail?


Princess Diana’s wedding dress designer was “horrified” and felt “faint” after seeing the final look of this iconic royal gown on the royals’ big day.
- Princess Diana’s wedding dress might be world-famous but it seems one of the designers wasn’t quite so convinced by the final look.
- It’s claimed that Elizabeth Emanuel revealed she was “horrified” by the fabric creasing.
- This royal news comes as Carole Middleton pulled out all the stops for the Queen with a special new career move.
Princess Diana’s wedding dress is undoubtedly one of the most iconic royal outfits in recent decades. Just like the late Princess’ daughter-in-law Meghan Markle’s wedding dress 37 years later, it was a closely-guarded fashion secret in the run-up to the big day and featured a huge embroidered veil.
And the drama of the dress was made even more noticeable with the 25ft silk train, making the moment she walked up the aisle a truly unforgettable fairytale moment in Prince Charles and Diana’s relationship. Watched by millions, the wedding is understood to have been attended by over 3,000 guests, including the extended Royal Family and US First Lady Nancy Reagan.
But whilst some people might still be wondering how much Princess Diana’s wedding dress cost, others might have noticed another rather unusual detail. And it’s one Princess Diana’s wedding dress designer was “horrified” to notice on the big day…
The then-Lady Diana Spencer’s beautiful gown was designed by Elizabeth and David Emanuel and also featured puff sleeves and an astonishing amount of pearls. From the moment she arrived at St Paul’s Cathedral to marry the eldest of the Queen’s children, Prince Charles, all eyes were on her.
But according to OK! Magazine back in 2018 on ITV's Invitation to the Royal Wedding, Elizabeth Emanuel revealed she “felt faint” when she saw Princess Diana’s dress on the day. And it was all because of the fabric!
She reportedly explained, “We did know it would crease a bit but when I saw her arrive at St Paul's and we saw the creasing I actually felt faint.”
"I was horrified, really, because it was quite a lot of creasing," the designer continued. "It was a lot more than we thought."
Just like with the Sussexes and Prince William and Kate Middleton’s weddings, a carriage was used to transport the royals on the Wales’ big day. And it’s thought that the carriage ride to the cathedral with the dress arranged inside could’ve contributed to the creasing situation.
Despite the fabric not remaining in pristine condition, however, it’s still one of the most famous wedding dresses in history. So much so that last year Princess Diana’s iconic dress went on display in the Royal Style in the Making exhibit at Kensington Palace.
Even now all these years later, Princess Diana's wedding dress is just as beautiful and unforgettable as ever.
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Emma is a Royal Editor with seven years of experience working in digital publishing. Her specialist areas including literature, the British Royal Family and knowing all there is to know about the latest TV shows on the BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and every streaming service out there. When she’s not writing about the next unmissable show to add to your to-watch list or delving into royal protocol, you can find Emma cooking and watching yet more crime dramas.
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