Designer recalls 'amazing' Diana

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/wales/6972870.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Royal wedding dress designer David Emanuel has recalled his memories of Diana, Princess of Wales, on the 10th anniversary of her death.

David Emanuel, from Bridgend, designed the dress with his then wife Elizabeth in 1981 and went on to design clothes for her international visits.

He spoke fondly of the princess after a service to mark the anniversary, at Guards' Chapel near Buckingham Palace.

Diana's sons, who spoke at the event, would have "done her proud", he said.

Watching the service had brought back an "avalanche" of memories for Mr Emanuel.

He said: "Diana's boys have done her proud. I thought Harry's speech was wonderful. She would have been very proud of them."

Recalling the time he and the princess worked together, he spoke of the relaxed way in which she would greet him at her home - Kensington Palace in London.

'Happy and excited'

He remembered how they would sit on the carpet going through sketches and fabrics and discussing fashion.

"She was first introduced to me as Lady Diana Spencer and she was very shy, blushing and had these great big blue eyes," he said.

"You could see that she was special then.

"I remember her so happy and excited on her wedding day. And I remember William and Harry running around as little boys. She truly was an amazing lady."

Working with Diana was "so easy", said Mr Emanuel, who graduated from the Royal College of Art and became a leading figure in the fashion scene of the early 1980s.

I remember a very different person from what you might read about in the newspapers or books. She was full of fun. David Emanuel

The commission to co-design Diana's wedding dress in 1981 came out of the blue.

He said: "She just made a simple phone call to my studio and asked would I do her the honour of designing her wedding dress.

"It was a massive coup for us because obviously every designer all over the world wanted to design that dress."

The dress, which featured a 25ft train, 10,000 pearls and sequins, ivory silk, pure taffeta and lace, would be seen by more than 700 million people.

"On her wedding day she was wonderful. She adored her bridesmaids" he said.

"My day started at St Paul's where I had to check her dress was okay. And it finished helping Lord Lichfield arrange the photographs."

Mr Emanuel said she was a very different person to the princess' public image.

"I remember a very different person from what you might read about in the newspapers or books. She was full of fun," he recalled.

"Behind the front door of Kensington Place she was very natural, sweet and kind."

He added: "When we designed her wardrobes for foreign tours we would sit on the carpets and go through sketches and fabrics.

"Those two boys I remember them running around, but now of course they are men."