Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer in 1981 at St Paul’s Cathedral in London. Crowds of people lined the streets to catch a glimpse of the royal bride, after months of anticipation about what the future Princess of Wales would wear.
After months of build-up, royal fans were not disappointed.
To this day, Princess Diana’s wedding dress is considered one of the most iconic wedding dresses ever.
The dress was designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel, and it featured a staggering 25-foot long train.
Diana’s wedding dress was made from ivory taffeta and silk and featured puff sleeves, a popular fashion in the 1980s.
Read More: Prince Philip ‘couldn’t imagine’ turning 100, says biographer
But instead of choosing a royal tiara for her wedding day, Diana opted to wear her family tiara.
The Spencer Tiara is a family heirloom that is encrusted with diamonds.
The tiara is thought to be made out of several different elements, which were combined by esteemed jewellers Garrard decades ago.
The Spencer tiara was worn by Diana’s older sisters, Lady Jane and Lady Sarah, for their respective wedding days before Diana’s.
So Diana’s decision to wear the Spencer Tiara for her big day can be seen as a sweet tribute to her family.
A royal bride opting not to wear a tiara from the Queen’s collection was unusual.
However, it was not unheard of before Diana for a royal bride to wear their own tiara on their wedding day.
In fact, the Queen’s sister Princess Margaret did just that when she married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960.
Margaret opted to wear the Poltimore Tiara, which she had purchased herself at an auction before her wedding.
The grandson of the tiara’s original owner, the fourth Baron Poltimore, sold it to Margaret in 1959.
The tiara was originally purchased by Lady Poltimore from Garrard in the 19th Century.
