How Much Did Princess Diana’s Iconic Wedding Dress Cost?
Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married in what was dubbed the “wedding of the century” on July 29, 1981. A total of 3,000 people attended the ceremony and another 750 million watched the fairytale nuptials from home.
Something no one could stop talking about that day was Princess Diana‘s dress. She wore an ivory taffeta gown designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel and many have wondered how much the stunning ensemble costs. Here’s the price of Diana’s dress and if that was more or less than the gowns Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge wore.
The price of Diana’s dress
Princess Diana stunned in a dress unlike any ever worn before. It featured puffed sleeves ruffles, a full skirt, 10,000 pearls, a 25-foot train, and a 153-yard tulle veil. There was also Carrickmacross lace attached to the gown that once belonged to Queen Mary.
Town & Country noted that the designers also attached an 18-carat gold trinket studded with white diamonds to the label of the dress.
So just how much did the now-iconic wedding gown cost?
The price tag for it at the time was $115,000, which is about $250,000 today. But how does that compare to the dresses Meghan and Kate wore when they married Diana’s sons?
Cost of Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle’s dresses
Meghan wore a lovely Givenchy gown by British fashion designer Clare Waight Keller when she married Prince Harry on May 19, 2018. The dress was made of silk and had a boat neckline. It was paired with a 16-foot long veil that featured embroidered flowers of the Commonwealth. The embroidery took 500 hours to complete.
The Duchess of Sussex’s dress cost $135,000.
Kate stunned in a gorgeous Victorian-inspired Alexander McQueen number by Sarah Burton when she married Prince William on April 29, 2011. The dress featured long lace sleeves with the bodice, skirt, and underskirt trim created out of an English and French Chantilly lace. The lacework was done by hand and paid homage to royal past royal brides.
The Duchess of Cambridge’s dress cost $434,000.
Whose royal wedding cost the most?
So which royal wedding cost the most overall?
The royal wedding of Prince William and Kate took place at Westminster Abbey and was followed by a parade of Britain’s future king and his bride in a horse-drawn carriage through the streets of London. The total cost for their lavish affair was $34 million. However, the steep price was mostly for security, which cost $32 million alone.
Prince Harry and Meghan royal wedding was held at St. George’s Chapel. It was a star-studded event with many celebrities in attendance including George and Amal Clooney, Serena Williams, Oprah Winfrey, and Idris Elba. The affair cost just over $45 million.
But neither wedding cost more than Charles and Diana‘s. According to Insider, if it had been today the cost of their wedding would be around $110 million.
