When Princess Diana married then-Prince Charles on July 29, 1981, at St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, England, one of the most talked about aspects of the ceremony was the bride’s incredible wedding dress.
Still a buzz-worthy topic these days — even being recreated for Netflix‘s “The Crown” — you may be wondering what happened to the gown following the wedding and who has it now.
Diana Passed Her Dress on In Her Will
GettyDesigned by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, who were husband and wife at the time, “Diana’s dress is estimated to have cost $114,800 at the time, which would be equivalent to about $448,500 today,” according to People.
Although Diana apparently didn’t know what kind of dress she wanted when she first reached out to the Emanuels, People notes that she ended up with a gown that “featured a ruffled collar, puff sleeves and a voluminous skirt,” as well as “a record-breaking 25-foot-long train.”
When Diana wore the dress on her wedding day, it immediately became iconic, but not everyone is aware of what happened to it following her passing.
GettyWhen Diana died on August 31, 1997, the dress was left to her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, in her will, with a request that her brother, Earl Spencer, take care of the gown until the younger son turned 30 years old, according to The Telegraph. That’s exactly what happened.
Harry’s 30th birthday took place on September 15, 2014, meaning that the special piece is currently in the possession of the princes; however, as People points out, “It is currently unknown where the dress is stored.”
Diana’s Dress Was Seen In an Exhibition & a Documentary
GettySince Diana’s wedding dress has been in William and Harry’s possession, it’s been seen during both a major exhibition and in popular documentary.
From 2021 until 2022, those who visited Diana’s former home, Kensington Palace, could see the dress as part of an exhibtion called “Royal Style in the Making.” Country Town & House explained at the time, “As exhibitions and art galleries reopen across the country, none have promised anything quite as exciting as Princess Diana’s emblematic wedding gown.”
That level of excitement hasn’t seemed to dim at all, which is why the gown was also the subject of a 2025 documentary called “Secrets of Diana’s Wedding Dress.” The project took viewers along while looking at the work of the Emanuels, as well as Nina Missetzis, who sewed the dress by hand as she worked with multiple seamstresses to create the piece that would make history.
The documentary also delves into “details about the fittings prior to Charles and Diana’s wedding on July 29, 1981, the wedding photos, the late British royal family member’s anxieties regarding then-Prince Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles (now King Charles III’s wife of roughly 20 years and the queen consort) and so much more,” according to Women’s Wear Daily (WWD).
Elizabeth Emanuel talked about “Secrets of Diana’s Wedding Dress,” per WWD, saying, “The dress has dominated my life. I had wanted to do a documentary like this for many years. There are loads and loads of documentaries about Diana, quite rightly, but this is a story within a story that’s never been told, and it’s a story of teamwork.”
