The Creation of a Royal Icon: Elizabeth Emanuel Recalls the Making of Princess Diana's Wedding Dress

Strategic Insights -

In 1981, Elizabeth Emanuel and her husband David were commissioned by Princess Diana to create her iconic wedding dress for the royal wedding to Prince Charles. The dress, made of ivory silk, pure taffeta, and antique lace, featured 10,000 pearls, sequins, and a 25-foot-long train that became an instant sensation. Elizabeth Emanuel has now allowed film crews to document the process of creating this legendary gown in the new documentary "Secrets Of Diana's Wedding Dress." The film features contributions from Elizabeth and David Emanuel, members of their team, and archival materials that provide a glimpse into the meticulous process that went into creating this timeless masterpiece.

Key Takeaways:

  • The wedding dress took approximately 3 weeks to design and 3 months to complete, with a team of 10 people working on the project.
  • Elizabeth Emanuel wanted to include every detail of the dress in an archive, storing every sequin, pin, and thread in special trunks she referred to as "the royal trunks."
  • The couple was inspired by Eighties fashion trends, particularly the use of lace and ruffles, which became a hallmark of Emanuel's designs.
  • Prince Charles chose the ivory silk fabric for the veil, but the limited availability of English silkworms meant that only a small amount of silk was used.
  • The dress featured 10,000 pearls, 300,000 sequins, and took 40 hours to assemble the train alone.
  • The wedding morning was a tense but ultimately triumphant moment, with Elizabeth Emanuel bringing glucose tablets in case Diana felt faint.

Statistics:

  • 750 million people watched the royal wedding on July 29, 1981.
  • The wedding dress took 3 weeks to design and 3 months to complete.
  • The train alone took 40 hours to assemble.
  • The dress featured 10,000 pearls, 300,000 sequins.
  • The veil was made from ivory silk, but only a small amount of English silkworm silk was used.
  • The documentary "Secrets Of Diana's Wedding Dress" features contributions from Elizabeth and David Emanuel, as well as archival materials.

Sources:

  • Secrets Of Diana's Wedding Dress, a 5 documentary, Saturday, 9pm
  • Elizabeth Emanuel, interview for the documentary "Secrets Of Diana's Wedding Dress"