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Princess Diana had to choose a backup wedding dress because of her enormous renown for her big (and historic) day. One of the most notable royal nuptials in history is undoubtedly Princess Diana’s wedding to Prince Charles. This fact holds true despite the fact that Diana came close to calling off the nuptials and went on to have a terrible marriage with the future king that ended a year before she was killed in a car accident, in part because of his open romance with Camilla Parker Bowles.
Despite the immense excitement surrounding Diana and Charles’ union, Princess Diana’s stunning wedding gown, valued at $115,000 and featuring a 25-foot train, also attracted considerable attention. David Emanuel, one of the designers responsible for the dress, revealed that the media’s intense curiosity led them to deliberately mislead by incorporating pale pink and lemon fabric scraps, sparking rumours of a different coloured gown. This playful deception was taken seriously by the press.
However, it’s worth noting that Princess Diana nearly wore an entirely different wedding dress. Her design team, including Elizabeth Emanuel, created a backup gown in case the details of the original dress were exposed. This spare dress was never used and was crafted from pale ivory silk taffeta with intricate embroidery on the sleeves and hem, adorned with small pearls on the bodice.
The designers’ devotion to Princess Diana surpassed any potential financial gain, as they chose not to leak their designs to the press, even for a substantial sum. Elizabeth recalled their initial meetings with Diana, emphasizing her youth, sweetness, and trust in their ability to create attire that suited her.
Although the backup dress never made a public appearance and has since disappeared, David and Elizabeth Emanuel still played a crucial role on Diana’s wedding day. They were responsible for dressing her, with David ensuring the proper fastening of the petticoat for comfort and security.
Princess Diana didn’t forget to express her gratitude to the duo behind her iconic gown. After the festivities, she personally called David to convey her heartfelt thanks, expressing her love for the gown and stating that both Prince Charles and the entire family admired it. This gesture was significant to David, not merely because of her royal status, but because he genuinely cared about her satisfaction as a valued client.