The late Diana, Princess of Wales’s iconic wedding dress from her marriage to Prince Charles in 1981 will go on display at Kensington Palace this summer. The ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel is set to be the main attraction of the Royal Style in the Making exhibition curated by Historic Royal Palaces, which will also include never-before-seen archival designs by some of the most renowned royal couturiers of the 20th century.
Opening on Thursday, 3 June, and until Sunday, 2 January, 2022, the Royal Style in the Making exhibition will give fans of royal fashion an up-close look at Princess Diana’s bridal gown. The era-defining design features an impressive 25-foot train, an 153-yard tulle veil, a dramatic collar, and puff sleeves detailed with ruffles and bows. In addition to Princess Diana’s historic dress, the exhibition will include original sketches, fabric swatches, and unseen photographs from the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection, while celebrating the sparkling gowns of three generations of royal women. “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,” Historic Royal Palaces exhibition curator Matthew Storey said in a press statement. “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 showstopping 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!”
Keep reading to relive the magic of Princess Diana’s wedding dress in anticipation for the Royal Style in the Making exhibition this summer.
