Princess Diana’s Iconic Wedding Dress Is Currently On (Stunning) Display At Kensington Palace

Jun 09, 2021

Princess Diana was adored the world over for her kindness and humanitarian work, and today, over 20 years since her death in a car accident in 1997, her legacy still lives on.

With Netflix's "The Crown" gaining popularity since its fourth season dropped in 2020, more and more people are starting to take an interest in outfits Princess Diana Spencer has worn, be it to family outings, royal attendances, movie premieres, and so on.

We at apost have done various stories about her most remarkable outfits, style tricks, most memorable dresses, and even all the times her daughters-in-law Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle would twin with her. Princess Diana is still considered a true style icon, not just to women around the world but to those in the royal family as well. Although Kate Middleton never met her mother-in-law due to Diana's untimely passing, it's clear she's played a strong influence on her, especially when it comes to style.

Diana was an icon not just because of her sense of fashion but also because she was embraced as the "People's Princess." Her overall style inspired others to recreate her wardrobe and for good reason: Princess Diana was a stunning woman who could pull off any look she wanted.

Right now, one of the most memorable pieces of Diana's wardrobe is available to be seen by the public: her intricate and lavish wedding dress. This iconic dress is part of an exhibition titled "Royal Style in the Making" that opened its doors to visitors this summer on June 3 in the Orangery of Kensington Palace, Vanity Fair reported.

Princess Di was universally loved by not only the British public but by people the world over. She used her influence to enact good, spending much of her time campaigning for humanitarian causes that improved the lives of others. She sat with people who were ill, helping to break the stigma of then-new diseases HIV and AIDS. These are the reasons she became known as the "People's Princess" via the media — she was a shining beacon of light in the royal family.

According to Town & Country, the dress Diana wore for her wedding to Prince Charles in 1981 is valued at an estimated $115,000. The ivory taffeta gown was designed by British husband-and-wife team David and Elizabeth Emanuel and features a 25-ft train which, according to Vogue, is a record in royal family history. It was the subject of much talk at the time of Diana's and Charles's wedding, with many commentators gushing over the intricate details and sheer size of the voluminous piece of clothing.

Actress Emma Corrin, who played young Diana in the Netflix series "The Crown," told Vogue about her experience wearing the replica of the dress to film the wedding scene for the Netflix series "The Crown": "We were filming the scene when you first see her in the wedding dress – I think it was Lancaster House in London – and I had a team of about 10 people helping me put it on, because it's massive," she said. "I walked out and everyone went completely silent. More than anything else I wear in the series, it's so… It's her."

The exhibition that now includes the original version of the dress has opened its doors to the public on June 3, 2021. While the wedding dress is certainly the main attraction and centerpiece, it is not the only item of historical note. According to news obtained by Vanity Fair, the exhibition also includes many more iconic pieces of fashion and even some that have never been open to the public before, such as a surviving toile from the Queen Mother's coronation from 1937.

Matthew Storey, the curator of the exhibition at Historic Royal Palaces, explained in a statement that the show is supposed to shine a light on the designers and artists behind the royal family's fashion:

"Our summer exhibition at Kensington Palace will shine a spotlight on some of the greatest talents of British design, whose work has been instrumental in shaping the visual identity of the royal family across the twentieth century.
We'll be exploring how the partnership between each designer and client worked, and revealing the process behind the creation of a number of the most important couture commissions in royal history. While one of the highlights will undoubtedly be Diana, Princess of Wales's show-stopping Emanuel designed wedding dress, which goes on show at the palace for the first time in 25 years – we've got some real surprises up our sleeve for fashion fans!"

While many fans of the royal family and fashion alike are already anticipating a visit to the exhibition, it should be mentioned that Diana's wedding dress was only added to the collection after both Prince Harry and Prince William gave their seal of approval.

Would you take the chance to see Princess Diana's wedding dress up close if you could? Is there any piece of royal fashion that you would really like to see in real life? Tell us your thoughts and pass this along to fellow royals and fashion fans!