Princess Diana's Wedding Dress Is On Display In 'Royal Style In The Making' Exhibition At Kensington Palace — See Photos
June 3 2021, Published 2:05 p.m. ET
Royals fans can now get a glimpse of Princess Diana's iconic wedding dress in real life!
On Thursday, June 3, a new exhibit called Royal Style in the Making opened, which features the famous gown — which was designed by Elizabeth and David Emmanuel — in addition to some "never-before-seen items from the archives of some of the most celebrated royal couturiers of the 20th century," the press release states.
The dress can be seen at Kensington Palace, where Princess Diana once lived.
"Among the star items will be an eighteenth-century style gown designed for Princess Margaret by Oliver Messel, most-famously known for his work on theatrical productions," the press release says. "On show for the first time since the event for which it was made — a costume ball in aid of St John Ambulance at London’s Mansion House in July 1964 – the glittering blue and gold dress with lace trimmed sleeve and decorated bodice is finally being reunited with Messel’s original design sketch. Also going on public view for the first time is an elegant floor-length black velvet evening gown created for Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, complete with richly beaded shoulders and neckline. The work of legendary royal couturier Sir Norman Hartnell, it represents a departure from the silhouette so closely associated with his work for the royal family, and will be accompanied by original sketches for day and evening wear he submitted to both Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother and Her Majesty The Queen for approval."
Royal Style in the Making opens on June 3 and will run until January 2, 2022. Adults tickets are around $35, while children tickets are being sold for around $17.
However, if you cannot make it in person, Historic Royal Palaces will be hosting an exclusive online evening on June 9 at 7 p.m. BST.
Scroll through the gallery below to see more photos from the exhibit!
"It will be like seeing an old friend after all these years," Elizabeth said of the iconic frock. "I was looking at the images again today, and I can't believe how many sequins we sewed onto the dress. This is going to be a wonderful exhibition."
"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," Matthew Storey, exhibition curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said in a statement.
Storey added, "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!" Storey concluded.
