The wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer goes down in history as one of the most iconic royal moments. After saying 'I do' at St Paul's Cathedral and having an incredible wedding reception at Buckingham Palace, the brand-new princess made a very important phone call – she called her bridal designer David Emanuel to thank him for her bridal gown.
SEE: 12 hilarious royal wedding moments caught on camera
WATCH: See Princess Diana as she steps out on her wedding day
As David Emanuel gears up to dress brides during VIP appointments at Bromley Brides, he spoke exclusively to HELLO! about Princess Diana's fabulous wedding dress. He revealed that Diana, Princess of Wales actually called him on the day of her wedding, before she went off on honeymoon.
He reminisced: "After all the photographs, they went in to have the wedding breakfast and I went back to my studio in Mayfair. All of my workroom ladies were there so we had a glass of champagne.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrincess Diana's jaw-dropping wedding gown wowed the crowds
"We had a little party and just as I’m about to lock up, the phone rings… I thought who’s calling? It was Diana! She said 'I just wanted to say thank you so much for the gown. I loved it. Prince Charles loved it. All the family loved it.'
"It couldn’t have been more special for me to hear from the client. When you design for a bride you want her to be happy. As long as the bride is happy that is all that matters. The fact she took the time before she went off on honeymoon… that’s genuine kindness."
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With its record-breaking 25-foot train and 10,000 mother of pearl sequins and pearl embellishments, it is no wonder the dress was a hit with Princess Diana – and the 28million people watching.
© David EmanuelDress designer David Emanuel appreciated Princess Diana's kind phone call
But the making of the dress was an experience in itself for David Emanuel and his then-wife. When they got the call about designing Diana's wedding gown, they actually thought it could be a joke. David explained: "We got a call to say, 'Would you do the honour of making the wedding gown?' but when we weren’t in the running in the press, I thought, gosh, perhaps it was a hoax call? But later, she did ring back, it must have been a month or so later."
"When it was finally announced, my tiny little studio got besieged with cameras in a matter in minutes," revealed David. And his solution? "I raced around to a store on Oxford Street to order roller blinds quickly and the roller blinds went down and stayed down until the day," he admitted.
© Photo: Getty ImagesDavid Emanuel also designed other gowns for Princess Diana such as this one
But the strict secrecy and pressure was worth it for David Emanuel who recalled one of the most memorable moments from the wedding day. "It was just like when Audrey Hepburn was going to the ball in My Fair Lady and she comes to the top of the stairs and there’s a gasp," he explained. "I had that moment [with Diana]. She stood at the top of the stairs and her father, Earl of Spencer was at the bottom and he looked up and simply said 'Diana'."
David shares other secrets about the iconic dress in his book, A Dress for Diana, which is available to buy on Amazon.
Would you like the chance to be dressed by David? The Wonder Room at Bromley Brides will be hosting private appointments with David Emanuel once a month and spaces are advised to be booked in advance. VIP Platinum Appointments with David Emanuel can be booked online at bromley-brides.co.uk.
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