The hidden romantic detail in Princess Diana's wedding shoes
It is custom for royal brides to weave something sentimental into their wedding outfits. Meghan Markle had fabric from her first date dress with Harry sewn into her wedding gown as her something blue, and Kate Middleton included a secret message on her sleeves.
But it seems they may have learned this little trick from none other than Princess Diana, who added a nod to her future husband, Prince Charles, on her wedding shoes.
The footwear was created by celebrity accessories designer Clive Shilton, who famously told the media: 'Her main concern was that she wouldn’t appear taller than Prince Charles, and because she was very tall - 5ft 10in - the shoes would have to have a low heel.'
They were made of 500 sequins, over 100 seed pearls, satin and lace, and it featured a romantic detail on the arches: the letters ‘C’ and ‘D’, with a heart between them, for Charles and Diana.
This detail was revealed by auctioneer Sworders', as a sketch of the shoes is set to go to auction on 22nd May. Included in the lot are a photocopy of the design, press information relating to the production of the slippers and two Clive Shilton postcards with a sample of the lace that was used in the production process.
The items belong to a vendor who previously worked for Clive Shilton and had been given them as a gift. The estimate is £100-150.
Meanwhile, a spare pair of Princess Diana's original wedding shoes (she also had a spare dress just in case) was sold in 2011 for over $50,000.
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Penny Goldstone is the Contributing Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK. She writes about catwalk trends and the latest high street and Instagram sartorial must-haves. She also helms the Women Who Win franchise.
She has worked in fashion for over 10 years, contributing to publications such as Cosmopolitan, Red, Good Housekeeping, and Stylist.
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