Princess Diana’s Wedding Shoes Contained a Secret and Intimate Love Note to Prince Charles
The wedding of Princess Diana and Prince Charles in 1981 was a spectacle unlike any other. Millions tuned in worldwide to watch the young aristocrat marry Charles, then-Prince of Wales. Much ado was made about Diana’s luxurious wedding gown and tiara, but another little-known fashion addition within her shoes contained a secret love note to her future husband.
Princess Diana’s wedding shoes contained a declaration of love for Prince Charles
The wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana set the stage for millions of marriages after that. Brides flocked to their local dressmakers and bridal salons to try and copy Diana’s wedding style.
However, no one could accurately replicate one aspect of her wedding day fashion. Diana’s shoes were hardly seen on that historic July 1981 day.
Therefore, Diana used her footwear to hide a secret and intimate message for her new husband. On the sole’s arches, the initials “C” and “D,” for Charles and Diana, were painted under each heel with a heart in the center and encircled by a floral pattern.
Clive Shilton, then a cobbler for the rich and famous, met Diana at the dress shop of designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel. Per The Daily Mail, the shoes were covered in 542 sequins and 132 pearls.
“No one even saw the bottom of the shoes, but it was important to us that they looked fantastic,” Shilton once said. “You would have seen much more of them if she’d tripped!”
Princess Diana wore low-heeled shoes at her wedding for this one reason
While many brides typically wear heels on their wedding day, Princess Diana strategically wore flats. Diana’s height was the main reason for her decision, for her stature, plus the crown could position her to appear taller than Prince Charles on their wedding day.
Clive Shilton met Princess Diana in 1980 when he measured her feet for the first time to create accurately-sized footwear. He recalled her being a “very shy, sweet, smiley-eyed young girl.”
Reportedly, Diana’s main concern was that she wouldn’t appear taller than Prince Charles. Because she was very tall, around 5ft 10in, the shoes would have to have a low heel.
The intent was to use some of the same fabric from Diana’s dress on the shoes. However, Shilton said the slik was “too fine.”
The cobbler decided to use heavier silk satin on the footwear. Ultimately, the shoes took six months to make at the hands of each person in Shilton’s workshop.
Other secret elements within Princess Diana’s wedding attire
Per The Daily Mail, Princess Diana’s wedding dress had other hidden aspects. These tiny tributes were added by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, who began by sewing a tiny blue bow into Diana’s waistband.
The bow could not be seen by most but by those who knew where to look for the tiny item. Diana also had a second blue bow on her silk garter.
The Emanuels also placed a tiny horseshoe, made from 18-carat Welsh gold and studded with white diamonds, into the dress’s label. Jeweler Douglas Buchanan created this horseshoe.
“Nobody could see our private gift when the dress was being worn,” says Elizabeth. “It was just there as a little token, a second good luck charm, from us to Diana.”
Princess Diana and Prince Charles married on July 29, 1981. They welcomed two sons, Prince William, and Prince Harry, before finalizing their divorce in 1996.
