The truth behind Princess Diana‘s wedding day wardrobe malfunction has finally been revealed.
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Exactly 45 years ago, the late Princess Diana tied the knot with King Charles during an extravagant ceremony in July 1981 that still makes headlines today. Rumors have long swirled that Diana accidentally spilled perfume on her iconic dress shortly before exchanging her vows – but her famed designer, Elizabeth Emanuel, exclusively tells Us she could not confirm the claims.
“They say that, [but] I don’t know how true that is because I didn’t see it,” Elizabeth shares. “But that is a story that’s been around. I think Barbara Daly, the makeup artist, she may have seen that happen, but I don’t know. Thank God I wasn’t aware of that because I would have panicked.”
Diana notably wore an ivory silk taffeta and lace gown designed by Elizabeth and her husband, David Emanuel, featuring over 10,000 pearls and sequins, a hidden 18-karat gold horseshoe sewn into the fabric and a 25-foot-long train.
Reports stated that Diana spilled perfume on the front of her gown and used her hand to cover the stain.
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Fortunately, Elizabeth, 73, says she and David, 73, were prepared for a potential stain on the dress and made “a spare top skirt” to go over the dress and hide any mishaps.
“We made an overskirt that if there had been a problem, like if she’d split anything down the front of her wedding dress, we would have slipped it over her head, and nobody would have known any different,” Elizabeth tells Us. “But we didn’t have to use that.”
Elizabeth also shed light on a “very secret” second wedding dress they had in case her bridal look leaked before the big day.
The designer tells Us, “We were aware that a lot of journalists were trying to find out what the design was like, and I found out much later on, many years later, that our seamstresses had been approached by media who were happy to pay for information, but they were very loyal and wonderful.” She continues, “We were all like family together, so nobody told the secret.”
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This story was originally published July 29, 2026 at 5:13 PM.