Top 16+ incredible facts about Princess Diana's wedding dress

A fashion landmark of the 1980s

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

Princess Diana’s wedding dress redefined bridal fashion from the 1980s onward. Behind that fairytale look lie some fascinating stories you’ve probably never heard.

Romantic excess

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

The dress was the dramatic masterpiece of British designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel. Full of symbolism and 1980s-style extravagance, it embodied the over-the-top glam of the decade.

Diana lost too much weight before the wedding

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

Designer Elizabeth Emanuel told People that Diana dropped significant weight in the days leading up to the wedding. The change was so sudden that last-minute alterations had to be made directly on her body before the ceremony.

Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

In ‘Diana: Her True Story — In Her Own Words’ by Andrew Morton, the Princess revealed she struggled with bulimia during her marriage. She said it began a week after she got engaged, and it would take nearly ten years to overcome.

She spilled perfume on the dress

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

On the big day, Diana accidentally dropped perfume on the dress and stained it. Her makeup artist, Barbara Daly, advised her to subtly hold the stained spot as if she were just lifting the train—an easy trick that worked. No one noticed a thing.

A backup bouquet—just in case

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

Florist David Longman told the Express that after Queen Elizabeth II lost her bouquet on her wedding day, it became tradition to make two identical ones. That way, there’d always be a spare.

A hidden lucky charm

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

Inside Diana’s dress was a secret 18-carat gold horseshoe charm studded with diamonds—an old-school symbol of luck and protection, sewn in discreetly.

An alternate version of the dress

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

Worried about leaks, the designers created a second version of the gown — one that could be completed quickly in case the original design got out.

The backup dress vanished mysteriously

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

Diana never had to wear the alternate gown, which featured a daring deep neckline. But the dress mysteriously disappeared from the designers’ studio — and has never been found since.

The dramatic veil

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

Puffy sleeves, a massive skirt, endless fabric—but it was the veil that stole the show. Made from 153 meters (roughly 500 feet) of tulle, it was nothing short of regal.

How do you transport a princess?

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

The dress was so huge, Diana had to be folded into the carriage to fit. As a result, she arrived at St. Paul’s Cathedral with a wrinkled gown. But with her charm? No one cared.

Hand-stitched and one of a kind

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

More than 10,000 mother-of-pearl sequins and beads were hand-sewn onto the gown. It was crafted with such care and detail that it couldn’t be replicated. Ever.

Even the shoes were custom masterpieces

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

According to the Daily Mail, Diana’s wedding shoes took six months to make. They were adorned with 132 pearls and 542 sequins—true works of art.

The soles were painted with their initials

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

In an extra-romantic touch, the soles of Diana’s shoes were hand-painted with the initials C and D—just like the monograms on the wedding favors.

The third most expensive wedding dress in history

A fashion landmark of the 1980s, Romantic excess, Diana lost too much weight before the wedding, Diana battled bulimia for nearly a decade, She spilled perfume on the dress, A backup bouquet—just in case, A hidden lucky charm, An alternate version of the dress, The backup dress vanished mysteriously, The dramatic veil, How do you transport a princess?, Hand-stitched and one of a kind, Even the shoes were custom masterpieces, The soles were painted with their initials, The third most expensive wedding dress in history

Made from British silk taffeta, the gown reportedly cost around £115,000 in 1981 (about $150,000 at the time), making it the third most expensive royal wedding dress—behind those worn by Grace Kelly and Queen Elizabeth II.

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