Diana's 'Back-up' Wedding Dress And Shoes
An exact replica wedding dress and slippers made for Princess Diana in case anything went wrong with the original items have sold for £84,000.
The gown was specially commissioned by Diana as an identical match for her lavish bridal gown and was made by the same designer, David Emanuel.
The shoes - that were never paid for by Diana's mother Frances Shand-Kidd after she had a row with the royal cobbler - were an identical match to the ones she wore down the aisle.
Made by Clive Shilton, the 6.5 size shoes were intended to be worn at the 1981 Royal wedding in the event of her original pair breaking or being stained. They were so exact either the left or right could have been swapped at any time, leaving viewers and well-wishers none the wiser. They even have the initials C and D joined together with a delicate heart on the soles. Her late mother never paid for the spare pair because she was unhappy with the final bill. The shoes were retained by designer Mr Shilton until he sold them at auction yesterday for £36,000 pounds to a private buyer.
The replica shoes were so exact either the left or right could have been swapped at any time, leaving viewers and well-wishers none the wiser
Diana and Prince Charles in the original dress at their wedding in 1981
The dress went on show on Diana's glamorous waxwork at Madame Tussauds at the time of the Royal wedding. The ivory taffeta dress was bought from Madam Tussauds several years ago by a private American collector, who also sold it yesterday for £48,000 pounds. It was bought by a fashion museum in Chile. Auctioneer Kerry Taylor said: 'Historically these items are very important and they have been hidden away in private collections for years.'The dress and the shoes are beautiful, really exquisite. 'The dress was made for Madame Tussauds as a replica of Princess Diana's gown, and was on show there for tourists to see.'It was sold to a private collector some years ago, who has now decided to sell it. 'The shoes are being sold by Clive Shilton, who made them.'They are identical to the ones Diana wore for her wedding - absolutely the same. 'She could have changed the left or the right and you wouldn't notice the difference. 'They were made in case her first pair got stained or damaged, or something happened to them on the day - these were kept just in case 'This sale demonstrates that even in these difficult economic times that the appetite for fine haute couture is undiminished and we are already looking forward to our next auction in February.'
