Lady Diana Spencer’s wedding gown is one of the most famous fashion items in history, but not everyone was pleased with the way it looked on the big day.

On July 29, 1981, the 20-year-old stepped out of her carriage at St Paul’s Cathedral wearing a stunning ivory silk taffeta and antique lace gown designed by husband and wife team Elizabeth and David Emanuel.

The couple spent months designing the royal wedding gown, going to great lengths to keep the design a secret.

It was reported to have cost close to £9,000 when completed, and it featured more than 10,000 pearls and classic puffed up sleeves made of six different fabrics.

For the veil, 25 yards of silk taffeta, 100 yards of tulle crinoline, and 150 yards of netting were used.

It was then followed by a 25-foot-long train of hand-embroidered silk.

However, when the designers saw Diana at the church, they were horrified at how creased her gown had become.

During an appearance on ITV’s Invitation to the Royal Wedding in 2018, Elizabeth recalled the moment she saw Diana step out of her wedding carriage.

“We knew it would crease a little, but when I saw her arrive at St Paul’s and we saw the creasing, I actually felt faint,” she explained.

“I was really shocked because there was so much creasing.

“It was a lot more than we expected.”

They’d done a dress rehearsal beforehand, but they’d used a different material, so it wasn’t nearly as creased as it was on the big day.

In addition to the famous gown, David and Elizabeth made a backup in case it was needed in an emergency.

People quoted David as saying: “We wanted to make certain that the dress was a surprise at the time.

“We didn’t try it on Diana. We never even discussed it. We wanted to make sure that we had something there; it was for our own peace of mind, really.”

According to HELLO!, Diana called David after the ceremony to thank him for his work on the dress.

“They went in for the wedding breakfast after all of the photographs were completed, and I returned to my Mayfair studio. We had a glass of champagne because all of my workroom ladies were present “He stated.

“We had a small party, and just as I’m about to close the door, the phone rings… Who’s calling? I wondered. Diana was there! ‘I just wanted to say thank you so much for the gown,’ she said. It was fantastic. It wowed Prince Charles. It was a hit with the entire family.'”

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