Significant archive of correspondence between Princess Diana’s wedding dress designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel and the vendors involved in the production of the iconic dress, including letters about the fabrics, shoes, flowers, lace, and embroidery. Includes:
Seven pages related to her shoes, including two letters from shoemaker Clive Shilton Ltd., plus a few typescripts and press releases. In one letter from Clive Shilton Ltd., March 6, 1981, a company representative writes: “I hope the samples we sent over this morning were right for you…I tried to choose designs that would illustrate some of the many possibilities for wedding shoes. We would love to work with you on special shoes.” Clive Shilton was chosen to make Diana’s shoes as the Emanuels trusted his discretion; two of these pages have been torn up and pieced back together, perhaps in an initial desire for secrecy.
Twelve pages related to the flowers, including: a handwritten note on the letterhead of Edward Goodyear Ltd, the royal florist, describing the flowers to be used in the wedding: “The small bridesmaids will be carrying baskets of garden flowers, in mixed colours…On their heads they will be wearing circlets of matching flowers. Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones will be carrying a loose post and wearing two small sprays of flowers in her hair to match the small bridesmaids.” Other materials include photocopies of press releases from Longmans Florists, copies of bouquet sketches sent to Longmans by the Emanuels, and copies of related letters. A letter from florist David M. H. Longman, April 30, 1981, in part: “We have prepared some more sketches ourselves and will be making a sample bouquet that will be ready for our next meeting. We understand this could be towards the end of May when Lady Diana comes to you for a fitting…We would also like to bring actual flowers so that we can get the correct shades of colour.”
Twenty-four pages related to the silks and fabrics to be used in Diana’s dress, including those form silk weavers Stephen Walters & Sons and Lullingstone Silk Farm, plus several sample swatches of silk. The letters describe the silk that the Emanuels ordered from Stephen Walters for Diana’s dress, including color, type, and size. This includes an important introductory letter from Stephen Walters & Sons to the Emanuels, dated March 11, 1981, in part: “We have been delighted to learn from the Times that you are to design the Wedding dress for Lady Diana Spencer. We expect for this very special occasion you will be considering real Silk, and would like to hope the fabric will be woven in this country. As established Silk weavers we are able to offer fabrics in Silk specially designed and woven to order…We did have the honour of weaving the Silk for Princess Anne’s Wedding dress, the material designed and produced specially for the occasion.” In two letters from Lullingstone Silk Farm, the company begs permission to admit that it provided the raw silk for the dress. In a later letter, from June 10th, in part: “We have woven now all your requirements in your special Silk fabric…I very much hope that the various colours have come up to your entire satisfaction, and we all look forward to the ‘revelation’ on the 29th of July.” The Emanuels ordered silk in multiple colors so that the final dress would be kept secret even from the weavers. Diana’s wedding day, July 29th, was the first time the dress was unveiled to the public.
A few pages related to the embroidery, including: a press release typescript from S. Lock Ltd., who did the embroidery for the dress, describing their process for embroidering the veil, plus photocopies of the embroidered lace. Also includes two shipping delivery forms hand signed by David Emanuel.
Ten pages related to the lace, including letters from the manufacturer, Roger Watson Laces, and a letter from the Royal School of Needlework concerning the historical lace once owned by Queen Mary that was incorporated into Diana’s dress, plus a few small sample swatches.
In overall very good to fine condition. A number of the items herein are depicted in the 2006 book A Dress for Diana by David and Elizabeth Emanuel. This remarkable, one-of-a-kind archive offers a behind-the-scenes view of the production of Princess Diana’s wedding dress—considered one of the most closely guarded secrets in fashion history. The intense, detail-oriented work that went into organizing every facet of the famous gown is on full display, and it is a truly remarkable assemblage.
