Designer Elizabeth Emanuel has created a replica of Princess Diana's historic 40-foot wedding veil, nearly 45 years after the original went missing. Emanuel, who designed the veil with her then-husband David Emanuel for the 1981 royal wedding, was commissioned by Renae Plant, founder of the Princess Diana Museum, to oversee the recreation.

While Diana's wedding gown has been displayed over the years at Kensington Palace and Althorp House, the original veil has remained absent. Emanuel expressed that the veil is crucial to the complete bridal look, stating, "The dress isn't as complete without the veil." She also noted that the veil gives the dress a lighter, more airy feel. She calls the recreated veil the "Veil of Light" due to its radiating shimmer.

To ensure accuracy, Emanuel collaborated with Hand & Lock, the London-based embroidery house that produced the original veil. They utilized the initial measurements from 1981 and an original piece of fabric from the same loom. The artisans at Hand & Lock worked by hand to replicate the intricate embroidery, creating the veil in stages due to its substantial size.

Princess Diana married Prince Charles at St Paul's Cathedral on July 29, 1981. The ceremony was watched by an estimated 750 million people worldwide and has been called the "wedding of the century." The occasion marked the first time in 300 years that a British citizen married an heir to the throne.

Lady Diana Spencer, aged 20, married Prince Charles, then 32, at St Paul's Cathedral on July 29, 1981, in front of 3,500 guests. Hailed as the 'wedding of the century', a record-breaking 750 million people in 74 countries across the globe tuned in to watch the event on television

Emanuel shared unseen photographs on Instagram from 1981, showing seamstresses and embroiderers working on the original gown in her Mayfair studio, remarking on the memories the images evoked.

Taking to Instagram, Ms Emanuel shared some unseen photographs of seamstresses and embroiders working on the dress in her small studio in Mayfair back in 1981

Diana's wedding dress, which cost £9,000 at the time, was made from ivory silk taffeta and featured a 25-foot train, the longest in royal history. The designers also created a spare petticoat and silk skirt as a contingency measure. Princess Diana accessorized her look with the Spencer tiara, a family heirloom.

In the years since her Royal Wedding, Diana's famous gown has frequently been displayed to members of the public at Kensington Palace and Althorp House, yet the original veil has always been absent

The recreated veil will be part of a collection set to tour in the autumn, offering the public a chance to see the piece for the first time.