On the day of her royal wedding in 1981, Princess Diana was gorgeous from head to toe—including her shoes, of course.
According to royal biographer and historian Robert Lacey, Diana's heels were specially designed to have very low heels because she was actually the same height as her husband-to-be, Prince Charles.
Lacey explained that the heels were "kept deliberately low so as not to upstage the groom: at five foot ten, Diana was exactly the same height as Charles."
"The bride's intricate ivory taffeta gown was paired with a lace veil no less than 153 yards long, together with an eighteenth-century heirloom tiara, while her silk bridal slippers were embroidered with 542 sequins and 132 matching pearls—the heels kept deliberately low so as not to upstage the groom: at five foot ten, Diana was exactly the same height as Charles."
While that's a less-than-great reason to let dictate your heel height, the shoes themselves were undeniably gorgeous:
(Image credit: William Thomas Cain)
Of course, Diana made a point of showing that she was standing tall in the ways that counted on her wedding day.
"When it came to the couple's wedding vows," Lacey wrote, "Diana was the first bride in royal history to promise to love, honor and cherish her husband but not necessarily to 'obey.'"
Side-By-Side Photos of Princess Diana In 'The Crown' vs. Real Life
Originally Worn In May 1981
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(Image credit: Netflix)
The newly engaged couple were photographed before their wedding at the Craigowan Lodge on the Balmoral Estate in Scotland. While it must have been hard to find a sweater as iconic as the pink one, would it be a crime to say I love the blue a little bit more?
Originally Worn In May 1981
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(Image credit: Netflix)
The newly engaged couple were photographed before their wedding at the Craigowan Lodge on the Balmoral Estate in Scotland. While it must have been hard to find a sweater as iconic as the pink one, would it be a crime to say I love the blue a little bit more?
Originally Worn In November 1988
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(Image credit: Netflix + Getty Images)
The one-shoulder gown of my dreams by Catherine Walker was seen at a dinner at the British Embassy in Paris, France, hosted by the British Ambassador to France. I will say I love the bright hues of The Crown's revamp.
Originally Worn In July 1981
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(Image credit: Netflix + Getty Images)
The wedding dress to end all wedding dresses, Emma Corrin, who plays Diana, said 10 people had to help her put on the replica of Diana’s gown. The famous piece had some help from the original designers, Elizabeth and David Emanuel; they gave the show their patterns of the original dress to make their own crazily accurate version.
Originally Worn In July 1981
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(Image credit: Netflix + Getty Images)
Polo match chic much? Princess Diana was seen wearing these iconic yellow overalls with a floral blouse at a polo match at Cowdray Park Polo Club in Gloucestershire, United Kingdom. On The Crown, they added a floral knitted cardigan to the ensemble, and frankly, we're obsessed.
Originally Worn In July 1986
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(Image credit: Netflix + Getty Images)
Instead of rollerblading through the halls of the royal palace, Princess Diana wore this outfit to play with her sons outside on Highgrove's grounds.
Originally Worn In September 1980
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(Image credit: Netflix + Getty Images)
Before becoming a princess, Diana loved to wear sweater vests with feminine blouses while working at the Young England Kindergarten School in Pimlico, where she worked as a nursery assistant. Paying homage to her younger years would be nothing without the initial necklace around her neck.
Originally Worn In April 1987
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(Image credit: Netflix + Getty Images)
At the Cannes Film Festival in France, Princess Diana wore a flowing chiffon blue ballgown designed by one of her favorite designers, Catherine Walker. The Queen's cousin, Lady Elizabeth Anson, once spilled that Prince Charles knew early on in their marriage of her massive popularity, reportedly telling aides, "They've come out to see my wife, they haven't come out to see me."
Originally Worn In 1980
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(Image credit: Netflix + Getty Images)
Before becoming a royal, Princess Diana had a thing for exquisite collars, like this lettuce trim sweater with a light jacket thrown over it. "Fashion might not have been a priority, but she loved to experiment," said her stylist Anna Harvey to Britain Vogue.
Originally Worn In March 1983
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(Image credit: Netflix + Getty Images)
This very, very blue number was seen on the couple's first overseas tour together, a six-week tour of Australia and New Zealand with a 10-month old Prince William along for the ride. It was the first international trip for the 22-year-old and the first tour that William had ever been on.
Originally Worn In March 1983
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(Image credit: Netflix + Getty Images)
Another great outfit was worn during the Australia and New Zealand tour! Diana wore a frilly blue gown by Bruce Oldfield to a gala dinner and dance at the Wentworth Hotel in Sydney. It's estimated during the tour that the couple shook around 2,000 hands per day, leaving Diana's with red and sore hands every evening.
Originally Worn In June 1981
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(Image credit: Netflix + Getty Images)
At the London premiere of the Bond film For Your Eyes Only, Diana wore a red and gold spangled chiffon gown by Bellville Sassoon. The event took place a month before their royal wedding. Di, Prince Charles, and Princess Margaret were all in attendance.
Originally Worn In November 1980
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(Image credit: Netflix + Getty Images)
Post-engagement, Diana was photographed leaving her apartment wearing a Christmas-y patterned cardigan. Her pie-crust-collar blouse was tied with a bow-tie detail that added a whimsical touch to the outfit.
Originally Worn In September 1982
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(Image credit: Netflix + Getty Images)
At the Braemar Highland Games in Scotland, Di wore a marvelous button tartan suit by Caroline Charles and a tam o'shanter hat. She would later re-wear the suit to attend a tree-planting ceremony in Hyde Park a month later.
Originally Worn In July 1981
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(Image credit: Netflix + Getty Images)
Diana wore a high-neck blue floral dress to their hour-long wedding rehearsal at St. Paul's church. Funny enough, First Lady Nancy Reagan was also in attendance at the pre-wedding event. "The thing I remember most was how young she was, young and happy," said Reagan on meeting Diana before her wedding. "I was sure it was going to be a wonderful marriage. We all thought it would be. It really did seem like the fairy tale that people still talk about."
Kayleigh Roberts is the weekend editor at Marie Claire, covering celebrity and entertainment news, from actual royals like Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle to Hollywood royalty, like Katie Holmes and Chrissy Teigen. She’s a Ravenclaw who would do great things in Slytherin. To learn more about her, google “Leslie Knope eating salad GIF.
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