Princess Diana and Prince Charles’ Royal Wedding: 8 Undisclosed Facts

Some Undisclosed Details From the Momentous Royal Wedding

King Charles and the late Lady Diana Spencer exchanged vows on Wednesday, July 29, 1981. It was without a doubt one of the most publicized weddings and relationships in the annals of British history. When the late Princess of Wales ascended the staircase of St. Paul's Cathedral in London to wed Prince Charles while wearing a magnificent wedding gown featuring a 25-foot train, she instantaneously entered the pages of fashion history. Elizabeth and David Emanuel, however, spared the royal bride and the millions of viewers glued to the television set an additional bridal attire as a precaution against unforeseen events. The historic royal wedding that sparked a 15-year turbulent marriage and resulted in the couple's divorce in 1996 encompasses eight secrets, including altered gowns and wedding day nerves.

1. Princess Diana Uttered Incorrect Name

According to a biography of Prince Charles authored by royal writer Sally Bedell Smith, both of the young couple purportedly stumbled over their vows as a result of the wedding anxiety. Sally Bedell Smith disclosed in Prince Charles: The Passions and Paradoxes of an Improbable Life an error that few will recall: Princess Diana referred to Charles by the incorrect name during the altar service. As reported by Marie Claire, BBC stated at the time, "Wedding day nerves were apparent during the ceremony. Diana mixed up the Prince’s names, calling him Philip Charles Arthur George, rather than Charles Philip."

2. “Do Your Best”: Diana Instructed Her Bridesmaid

Princess Diana informed her youthful bridesmaid that the 25-foot fringe of her gown posed a significant challenge. India Hicks, the goddaughter of Charles, provided a detailed account of the occasion when she and Sarah Armstrong-Jones, the niece of Diana, were tasked with escorting the garment down the aisle. As Diana entered the cathedral in 2018, Hicks disclosed to Harper's Bazaar that she instructed the ladies to 'do your best.' Hicks stated, "We knew what that meant: If we pulled too much, straightening the material, her tiara and veil would slip. But if we didn't pull enough, the effect of the train would be lost."

3. At Her Nuptials Diana Received Two Bouquets

According to a 2018 Express article by florist David Longman, Queen Elizabeth began the practice of having two identical bouquets crafted as a precautionary measure against a recurrence of the flower incident that occurred during her nuptials. Longman stated, "We made two bouquets. The first one had to be delivered at 8 o'clock to Buckingham Palace. We had a police escort motorcyclist who took us all through the city to the Palace. Then we came back, and by that time, they had finished the second bouquet, and back we went again."

4. Princess Diana’s Gown Required Modifications

Elizabeth Emanuel, the designer, recalled that in the weeks preceding her nuptials to then-Prince Charles, the young bride-to-be underwent a significant transformation, reducing a substantial amount of the weight. As reported by CheatSheet, during the documentary Charles and Di: The Truth Behind Their Wedding, Elizabeth Emanuel, the renowned dress designer for the Princess of Wales, disclosed that Diana's waist measurement was 29 inches at the outset of the design process. However, it was 23 inches at her last adjustment before her wedding to Charles. Emanuel said, "She was losing so much [weight] we even had to start again a couple of times. We put it down to nerves. But it did make it incredibly difficult for us to get on with making the dress. We had to keep taking the bodice in and changing the pattern."

5. A Good Fortune Talisman Adorned Princess Diana’s Gown

As per TownCountry, Diana's dress concealed a good fortune talisman in the form of a white diamond-studded horseshoe ornament crafted of 18-karat gold. Vanity Fair cited biographer Tina Brown: "[The dress] was the fulfillment of her princess fantasy. She was insistent in her demand for its puffy sleeves and floating silk, its twenty-five-foot taffeta train, its nipped waist, and its antique lace embroidered with pearls and sequins." Although not discernible in photographs or to attendees in close proximity to Diana during the ceremony, the horseshoe-shaped token served as a charming embellishment to an already opulent gown.

6. The Backup Strategy Was Ready

A media frenzy ensued in 2005 when an auction purported to be selling an authentic reduced replica of Princess Diana's original 1981 gown. Elizabeth Emanuel, for her part, reiterated her non-ownership of the dress but disclosed that an alternative design had been conceived as a precautionary measure if the dress's inner workings were disclosed to the press. The backup gown omitted the lace embellishments and featured a more pronounced V silhouette. Elizabeth purportedly asserted that the incomplete gown departed unexpectedly from their studio; it is believed to be the gown that resurfaced in 2005 and was auctioned off.

7. Princess Diana Dropped Perfume on Her Dress by Accident

Barbara Daly, the cosmetics artist for Princess Diana on her wedding day, asserts that Diana inadvertently transferred a small amount of her preferred fragrance, Quelques Fleurs, from her wrist to her gown, resulting in an illustrative stain. The princess had to act quickly due to the lack of time at her disposal; therefore, she concealed the area with her hand as she entered St. Paul's Cathedral in London. As per PureWow, Daly provides further elaboration in her book Diana: The Portrait, where she reveals that she advised Diana to raise the front of her dress to conceal a stain rather than expose the stain on her wedding gown.

8. Camilla Was a Guest at the Nuptials

While walking down the aisle of St. Paul's Cathedral with her father, Earl Spencer, the 20-year-old Princess had a particular individual in mind: Camilla Parker Bowles, the former fiancée and subsequent second wife of her husband. In 1991, she told biographer Andrew Morton, "I knew she was in there, of course. I looked for her. So walking down the aisle, I spotted Camilla, pale gray, veiled pillbox hat, saw it all, her son Tom standing on a chair. To this day you know — vivid memory." A notorious affair occurred between Charles and Camilla during their respective marriages. They made their rekindled relationship public following Diana's passing in 1997.