Princess Beatrice is now engaged to her beau Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi and the world is desperately awaiting more news on the couple’s impending nuptials. Over the last few decades, it is fair to say royal wedding euphoria reached its peak in the UK when Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. Millions watched the gorgeous bride glide toward St Paul’s Cathedral, but one particular blunder has now set a precedent for all future brides.
As Princess Diana stepped out of her carriage with her father, many eagle-eyed viewers noticed the beautiful bride’s dress had creased in transit.
Although Diana showed no signs of noticing, nor caring, one wedding dress expert said the debacle set a precedent for the next generation of brides.
Caroline Castigliano, an internationally renowned luxury wedding dress designer, told Express.co.uk: “Mothers today always ask if the fabric we are using to create their daughters gown will crease like Princess Diana.
“It is a constant question, most likely because they are of an age that Princess Diana was the dream fairy princess when they were young, and her gown was a disappointment when it creased so badly.”
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The elaborate dress was designed by David and Elizabeth Emmanuel, who were entrusted with what was perhaps their most career-defining commission while they were still relatively new to the world of fashion.
Elizabeth Emmanuel told the Daily Mail her heart sank when she saw Princess Diana climb the steps of the cathedral, whispering to her husband: “Oh my God, it’s creased. I thought: ‘We’ve got to straighten out that dress.’
“In the tiny carriage, it had crumpled far more than we’d anticipated.
“We’d done a rehearsal, but not with her father, Earl Spencer, in the car, too — and he was quite a large man.
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“It was a hot day, there was so much volume in the net and she was nervous, so she kept grabbing hold of it in her hands.
“Fortunately, we knew the fabric would pull out — that’s why we were there.”
David and Elizabeth were on-hand on the day to rectify the situation and, with a team of helpful bridesmaids, they managed to smooth out her train, which was an impressive 25ft long.
Elizabeth added: “When she came out of that carriage, it was the most wonderful vision I’d ever seen.
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“She looked like a butterfly emerging from her chrysalis, unfurling her wings and about to fly.
“It was so romantic. Oddly, the imperfections seemed to make her even more beautiful.”
The designer couple also made another blunder when they forgot to remove the safety pin they had temporarily used to fix the Princess’ petticoat, but thankfully the world was oblivious.
While there may have been a few small fashion errors over the course of the day, the narrative surrounding Princess Diana’s wedding gown has remained incredibly positive over the last few decades.
Princess Diana’s wedding dress is seen as iconic and was one of the most closely guarded secrets in royal fashion history – with the press and public desperate to catch a glimpse of the dress before the big day.
Upon turning 30, the dress was given to Prince Harry, upon his mother’s wishes, while her engagement ring was given to Prince William, where it now rests on the hand of Kate, Duchess of Cambridge.
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