THE WEDDING DRESS OF PRINCESS DIANA, CLOSE UP: IT CAN BE SEEN AT AN EXHIBITION AT KENSINGTON PALACE
Due to the delicacy of the taffeta the dress is made from, it is only displayed once every five years. The last time was at Althorp House in 2016.
Up close it shines. That is something you can only see if you are inches from the iconic wedding dress of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Brilliant, punchy, and with that extraordinarily long train (shown here in full effect), she's arguably the main attraction at Kensington Palace's newest fashion show, Royal Style In The Making.
The dress is the second in the exhibition, but the one that attracts the most attention, as was always intended.
Designed to be seen on television, the ivory gown created by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, relatively new to the fashion scene, featured exaggerated bows, taffeta, petticoats, and shoulders, and was said to be inspired so much by the queen's style Victoria as in that of Queen Mary. This desire to reference queens and princesses past is a thread running through the exhibition, highlighting how royal women frequently look back rather than trendsetting.
Focusing on the five great designers who have been important to recent generations of women in the British royal family, the Queen Mother, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret and the Princess of Wales, the exhibition looks at how each couturier left their mark on the real fashion.
In addition to the Emanuels section, there is also one about David Sassoon, another of Princess Diana's favorite designers, who helped her create her image. Shown here is her 'farewell' dress, a pink skirt suit with bows, along with multiple sketches and letters sent by the princess to the designer.
Also featured is Norman Hartnell, perhaps the most famous royal designer of the last century, known for his work on the queen's wedding dress and coronation gown. Before Hartnell, there was Madame Handley-Seymour, the English designer who perfected her craft by making skillful copies of Lanvin and Chanel. She was a favorite of Queen Mary and was chosen to make the wedding dress and coronation gown for the Queen Mother.
The exhibition ends with a stunning Georgian-inspired ball gown made for Princess Margaret by theatrical designer Oliver Messel. It's the only piece here that truly rivals Diana's flamboyant bridal look, and it's very Daphne Bridgerton.
Royal Style In The Making can be seen at Kensington Palace until January 2, 2022.
