Emanuel Ice Blue Dotted Gown

fits Franklin Mint Diana Portrait Doll

Not even 4 months into her engagement, Diana was thrown into a totally new world, that of the royal family's formal official state functions. The first of these - and the first of over a decade's worth to come - was a state dinner at Claridge's during the visit of King Khalid of Saudi Arabia,in June of 1981 (left). As she later told her friend Simone Simmons, she had probably tried too hard to wear clothes she thought the royal family would approve of, and for this important first state event she used everything - designer ballgown (in ice blue tulle with mother of pearl spangles and pink satin sash and bow, by the Emanuels, who were also busy with her wedding dress), matching wrap, long white gloves, and major diamond jewelry, the antique necklace loaned to her by the Spencer family jewelers, Collingwood, for her engagement portrait with Prince Charles. Like many of her Emanuel gowns of this early period, it was very girly, romantic and frilly.

This was a popular gown with Diana during this period. She wore it again that November, to the Royal Ballet with her husband and Prince Andrew, and a year later in October of 1982 during a trip to Cardiff for the Welsh Naional Opera, of which she was patron. (above right, and click here to see a video) She took it on the Wales' tour of Australia in early 1983, where she wore it to a state dinner in Auckland, New Zealand (below right), and it was still popular with her as late as 1985, when she wore it to the Nepalese embassy that February (video here).

After that, while the fussy frilliness no longer fitted in with her maturing sense of style, it must have held some memories for her, for this gown stayed in her closet at Kensington Palace, the only gown from this period that she seemed to have kept until the Christie's auction.

When Diana auctioned 79 of her gowns for charity in 1997, this was Lot 23, listed as "a romantic balldress of pale blue sequinned tulle". It fetched $27,600. It was recently displayed in the Diana exhibit on the Queen Mary, and has since been returned to the owner.



This recreation for the Franklin Mint vinyl People’s Princess Doll is made from pale blue dotted swiss overlaid onto a light blue underlining at the bodice and skirt. The sleeves are sheer. It features the double ruffled collar and ruffle trimmed sleeves of the original, and is trimmed at the decolletage with a pink satin bow and at the waist with a matching pink sash. The bodice is fully lined in white and fastens in the back with snaps. Also includes a white petticoat, as did the original, and, also as per the original, a matching pale blue dotted wrap. Shown with the earrings from the White Chiffon Gown and 'Swan Lake' necklace suite by Facets by Marcia, although she does also make a reproduction of the Collingwood necklace Diana wore. Silver lame shoes and bag by S'nE.

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