Lot 264
Estimate £30,000-£50,000
The important black taffeta evening gown worn by Lady Diana Spencer for her first official appearance (after the engagement announcement) in the company of HRH Prince Charles at Goldsmith's Hall, March 9th, 1981, labelled 'An Emanuel Special' the boned, strapless cross-over bodice edged in flounces of sequined silk, bust 86cm, 34in, waist 66cm, 26in; together with an
Emanuel black tulle petticoat; the original 1981 Elizabeth Emanuel pencil sketch of the gown with attached fabric swatch; another in ink executed recently; a copy of the original invoice dated 9 March 1981 for £517.50; a black and white photograph by Richard Young; two others copyright Rex Features of Lady Diana wearing the gown at Goldsmith's Hall, another by Alpha Images, and a transparency by an un-named photographer, (10) When the young and inexperienced Lady Diana Spencer accompanied Prince Charles on their first official appearance she chose this elegant but somewhat revealing evening gown. She had no idea the effect the sight of her climbing out of a limousine in the dress would create with the world's press who were eagerly awaiting her. They were completely bowled over by the innocent yet voluptuous beauty of the young woman. Clutching a single red rose - she literally burst onto the world stage in a frenzy of press flash bulbs, and in so doing, managed to unintentionally upstage her fiancé - something she was to do on a regular basis in the years that followed. In her memoirs the Princess stated `I remember my first (royal) engagement so well. So excited. Black dress from the Emanuels and I thought it was OK because girls my age wore this dress. I hadn't appreciated that I was now seen as a royal lady, although I'd only got a ring on my finger as opposed to two rings. Black to me was the smartest colour you could possibly have at the age of 19. It was a real grown up dress. I was quite big-chested then and they all got frightfully excited. I remember meeting Princess Grace and how wonderful and serene she was....It wan an horrendous occasion. I didn't know whether your handbag should be in your left hand not your right hand. I was terrified really - at the time everything was all over the place.' cf `Diana - Her True Story - in Her Own Words', p.36-37 published by Michael O Mara Books Ltd. see also Andrew Morton's comments on the occasion p.121 of the same book. 'They (the Emanuels) also made the evening gown for her first official engagement, a charity gala in the city of London, which created almost as big a sensation as the dress which graced St Paul's Cathderal a few months later. The black taffeta silk ballgown was strapless and backless with a plunging, gravity-defying décolletage. Prince Charles was not impressed with the outfit. While she thought black was the smartest colour a girl of her age could wear, he had different ideas. When she appeared in her finery at the door of his study he commented unfavourably saying that only people in mourning wore black. Diana replied that she was not yet a member of his family and, what's more, she had no other dress suitable for the occasion. That spat did little for her confidence as she faced a battery of cameras waiting outside Goldsmith's Hall. She was unschooled in the niceties of royal behaviour and felt absolutely terrified that she would embarrass her fiancé. During the course of the evening she met Princess Grace of Monaco, a woman she had always admired from afar. She noticed Diana's uncertainty and, ignoring the other guests who were still buzzing over Diana's choice of dress, whisked her off to the powder room. Diana poured her heart out about the publicity, her sense of isolation and her fears about what the future held in store. 'Don't worry,' Princess Grace joked. `It will get a lot worse'. David & Elizabeth Emanuel wrote in 'A Dress for Diana' p.33 and.94 `When we put her in that black dress, we had no idea that it was going to cause such a furore. Infact, that dress had started its life as one of our samples and it was just hanging on a rail...But Diana saw it, loved it and tried it on. The transformation was incredible! She had arrived looking like the nursery school teacher she was, but now she looked like a movie star'. As the weeks passed Diana began to lose weight rapidly and the dress which she had originally filled to perfection began to hang on her ever diminishing frame. She returned the gown to the Emanuels for them to take in. However, the weight loss was so drastic (her waist diminishing from 26in to 24in by the wedding day) that they decided it would be simpler to make a new, identical gown that would fit her new proportions. The original black dress was stored away and remained forgotten until its recent re-discovery.
More on this exciting acution this week!
June 8, 2010
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