Princess Diana’s Never-Before-Seen ‘Backup’ Wedding Dress Unveiled
Princess Diana‘s wedding dress remains one of the most iconic fashion moments of the 20th century. However, designers Elizabeth and David Emanuel created a secret “backup” wedding dress in case something happened to the original gown. After 43 years, that vision has come to life as Elizabeth unveils the never-before-seen creation for a virtual Princess Diana Museum.
A ‘backup’ wedding dress was ready for Princess Diana in 1981
Princess Diana chose Elizabeth and David Emanuel to design her wedding dress for her 1981 wedding to then Prince Charles. The couple were young, unknown, and stunned that Diana picked them for this iconic royal moment.
However, as they worked with Diana to create the wedding dress of her dreams, Elizabeth envisioned a worst-case scenario. She told People Magazine, “I was a bit neurotic, and I thought, ‘What happens if somebody breaks in and steals the dress or something spills or there’s a fire or it gets stolen?’ So I thought, ‘I’m gonna make a backup dress.'”
The “backup” dress was never officially completed and remained unfinished. However, Elizabeth has recreated the secondary gown for exhibition at the virtual Princess Diana Museum.
For three paid options, fans of the late Princess of Wales can look at her personal and historical artifacts from early childhood to her tragic death. They have the secondary wedding dress and over 1,800 pieces of her personal items. The museum continues its mission to preserve as many of her personal belongings, now historical items, in one place.
What made Princess Diana’s second wedding dress drastically different from her first?
Princess Diana’s wedding gown was an ivory taffeta creation featuring intricate embroidery with sequins, frilled lace, and 10,000 hand-sewn pearls. Within the gown was a square of Carrickmacross lace that once belonged to Queen Mary.
However, the most unforgettable feature of Diana’s wedding dress was its 25-foot-long train. It was a defining feature of the gown.
The Princess of Wales’ tulle veil was 153 yards long. A Spencer family tiara anchored the veil.
The “backup” dress was drastically different. Elizabeth Emanuel told People Magazine that it was inspired by a gown she and her ex-husband designed for Diana to wear at a private ball before her wedding day.
Significantly, the second dress did not have a long train. Instead of a deep ivory color, the “backup” dress was white silk.
The dress that has become synonymous with the Princess of Wales had puffy sleeves with large pieces of lace at the elbow. The second gown’s sleeves were more slim-fitting and had frilly cuffs.
Did Princess Diana know about her second dress?
According to Elizabeth Emanuel, Princess Diana had no idea the couple were making a second dress, just in case. In a video, she told People Magazine she didn’t want to “worry” Diana as she prepared to marry Prince Charles.
However, the idea was that Elizabeth would try to have similar features between the two gowns without recreating the original dress. It had the same tiny pearls and sequins as Diana’s ivory gown, work on her wedding day.
Elizabeth admitted that she and David had a tiny shop, and there was no time to fully construct the second dress without sacrificing the time and energy they needed for the first. Elizabeth said that this new recreation is the “only one that exists.”
The virtual Princess Diana Museum is available for admirers of the Princess of Wales to access online. Elizabeth Emanuel plans to re-imagine Diana’s wedding dress for 2024.
