Ice Blue Satin Ballgown

This pale blue satin Emanuel ballgown wasn't a particularly famous or popular one of Diana's gowns. It was worn on at least two occasions, one a State banquet in Japan, where pale blue is a colour worn to honour the Japanese Royal Family.   It was a typical princessy gown of the mid 1980s with its long poufy leg o' mutton sleeves, its v-waist and it full ballgown skirt.  It holds its own with or without a tiara and is one of the only two dozen or so of Diana's gowns which earned being worn with the Queen's Family Order. It SCREAMS "Cinderella."

What has made its sweetheart neckline and somewhat stark overall design meaningful enough to cause Diana fans to custom order it?   Probably that it was one of the original and re-issued gowns in the Danbury Mint Royal Wardrobe Collection.  It didn't include goodies like the Spencer tiara or the Queen's Family Order (worn by Diana on at least one outing in the gown,) but collectors can always move from another outfit or collect