Princess Diana's secret second wedding dress that had three major differences to first

Princess Diana's secret second wedding dress, which was kept under wraps, had three significant differences from the first.

The entire globe watched with bated breath as Charles and Diana's nuptials approached, eager to catch a glimpse of the late Princess' bridal attire that had been shrouded in secrecy for months.

Unbeknownst to the public, there was a chance Diana might have worn an entirely different dress, as the designers secretly worked on a "backup" gown without anyone's knowledge.

The alternative dress wasn't just a carbon copy of the one Diana donned; it was a completely unique creation, prepared as a precaution in case the original encountered any issues or if its design was prematurely revealed before the ceremony at St. Paul's Cathedral.

Diana herself was unaware of this contingency plan.

Elizabeth Emanuel, who crafted the iconic dress with her then-husband David, shared with People Magazine the reasons behind the decision to have a spare gown at the ready for the then-20 year old Diana, reports the Mirror.

"I was a bit neurotic, and I thought, 'What happens if somebody breaks in and steals the dress or something spills or there's a fire or it gets stolen? '" she said. "So I thought, 'I'm gonna make a backup dress.'".

Elizabeth embarked on creating a new dress, drawing inspiration from another piece they had been commissioned to make for Diana - a pink ball gown she was set to debut before her wedding day.

Distinctly different from the original, the second design did not have the famous lengthy train or the characteristic voluminous sleeves of the eighties era.

Instead, Elizabeth opted for a more streamlined, slim-fitted style.

This secondary dress followed a simpler pattern with ready-made material that lacked the incredible hand-stitched embroidery seen on the original. Moreover, the shade of silk used deviated from the deep ivory tone of the Royal wedding dress to a simpler white shade, Elizabeth clarified.

Even after all the detailed preparation that went into it, the backup dress was never completed. Elizabeth confessed, "I just thought, 'If anything happens, we'll finish it off and have it ready,'" She added, "It likely ended up on some sample rail. It probably got reused, torn up, thrown out, who knows?"

The wedding attire that Diana wore has gone down in history not only for its grandiose eighties charm but also for the colossal clandestine task undertaken by the embroiderers and designers. An adept embroiderer was given the duty of sewing 10,000 tiny pearls onto Diana's 139-metre tulle veil entirely by herself.

This meant working overnight at home to maintain the secrecy of the shimmering "fairy dust" design.

The 25-foot train of her dress was so voluminous that Princess Diana had to be practically squeezed into the carriage that transported her to the wedding. The fabric was folded over multiple times to ensure it fit, resulting in noticeable creases upon her arrival at St. Pauls.

Town and Country reported that the designers were so worried about the dress being stolen before the big day that they installed a safe to keep the taffeta and antique lace gown hidden from curious eyes.

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