How Princess Diana's Honeymoon Dress Designer Nearly Lost Her as a Client (She Was Turned Away!)
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Princess Diana's wedding dress is at the center of a new exhibit, but there's another outfit on display from her big day that has a surprising backstory.
At the Royal Style in the Making fashion exhibition, which opens Thursday at Princess Diana's former home of Kensington Palace, visitors will be able to see her iconic Elizabeth and David Emanuel bridal gown — dramatic 25-foot train and all — as well as another look the royal wore on her 1981 wedding day: a peach ensemble to leave with Prince Charles for their honeymoon trip to Gibraltar on the Royal Yacht Brittania.
Curator Matthew Storey revealed at a special exhibit preview on Wednesday that Princess Diana's collaboration with designer Bellville Sassoon "almost didn't happen."
Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Princess Diana
Princess Diana Archive/Getty Prince Charles and Princess Diana
PA Images via Getty Princess Diana and Prince Charles
When Princess Diana first visited the Bellville Sassoon shop, the 19-year-old had just become engaged to Prince Charles and was looking for an outfit for her official engagement photos. It was nearly closing time, and Diana wasn't finding anything she liked. Not recognizing Diana, the sales associate told her that Harrod's department store "is just around the corner."
Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Prince Charles and Princess Diana
"You can imagine how Belinda [Bellville] and David [Sassoon] felt when they realized the future Princess of Wales had been turned away," said Storey.
Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Princess Diana and Prince Charles
Fortunately, Diana came back with her mother and picked out the blue ensemble she wore for her engagement announcement and photos with Prince Charles.
The brand went on to create many looks for Princess Diana, including the peach ensemble on display alongside an original sketch by designer David Sassoon. Storey shared that two versions of the outfit were created: one with short sleeves and one with longer sleeves, depending on the weather.
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Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Princess Diana
Princess Diana went on to wear the honeymoon outfit on several other occasions, including her 1983 tour of Australia.
Samir Hussein/WireImage; Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images Princess Diana
Royal Style in the Making marks the first time Princess Diana's bridal ensemble has been displayed in nearly 25 years. It previously was part of a July 1998 exhibit at Diana's ancestral home, Althorp, almost a year after the royal's tragic death.
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Other highlights of the exhibit include the 1937 coronation gown of Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother and a costume gown that Princess Margaret wore to a charity ball in 1964.
