Princess Diana‘s wedding dress designer, Elisabeth Manuelwas prepared for the worst when it came to the late royal’s big day.

While Diana wore the pearl and bow-embellished masterpiece with puffed sleeves to say “I do” Prince Charles is still in the minds of many UsFew people know that Manuel, now 70, actually made a replacement dress in case something should happen to the original. (Charles, now 75, and Diana divorced in 1996. Charles became king after Queen Elizabeth II.‘s death in September 2022.)

“I was a bit neurotic and thought, ‘What happens if someone breaks in and steals the dress or something spills or it burns or it gets stolen?’ Manuel told People in a video interview posted on YouTube on Wednesday, April 3. “So I thought, ‘I’m going to make a replacement dress.'”

The “spared” look was inspired by a pink dress that Emanuel made for Diana to wear to a pre-wedding ball. Unlike the original dress, the replacement was a brilliant white and did not have a 25-foot train. Other details included a ruffled neckline and slimmer sleeves that “fitted her arms better.” The replacement design also featured a row of pearls all over the bodice, which flowed into a puffy skirt with shell embroidery.

Although a lot of thought went into creating the backup, the look never saw the light of day and was never completed. Manuel told People that after it became clear that Diana would indeed wear the original design, the replacement version ended up on a sample rack “somewhere”.

But now the spare part is getting a second chance. Manuel has recreated the look to display in the virtual Princess Diana Museum.

Princess Diana through the years

“We have never seen this dress on Diana and thought it would be nice to imagine it,” Renae plantsaid the curator of the museum People“History is priceless.”

Since the first spare part was lost, Manuel created the second version largely from memory.

“To make this dress, I had to go back in my memories and I also found these photos that we took back then. I wanted to get it as accurate as possible and make it the way we would have made it back then,” Manuel told People.

Manuel later recalled her time with Diana, saying that the late princess contacted the designer herself and asked her to make her wedding dress. “I had to run out of the room. I was with a customer. That’s how it all started… It was an incredible honor to make her wedding dress.”

Princess Diana’s most iconic fashion moments

The two met again years later at a Christie’s auction. This was the last time Manuel saw Diana before her fatal car accident in Paris in August 1997.

“She was beautiful and looked radiant,” Manuel added.