Princess Diana's Pre-Wedding Weight Loss Revealed How ‘Depressed’ She Was

Princess Diana’s marriage to Prince Charles on that fateful day of July 29, 1981, looked like the fairy tale wedding every woman dreams of. But recent accounts divulged that there were already cracks on her own health and their relationship.

One manifestation of this rocky state was her “shocking” weight loss, as revealed by Elizabeth Emanuel, the late Princess of Wales’ wedding dress designer. “She did lose weight,” shared Emanuel.

“She was losing so much we even had to start again a couple of times. Her waist was a size 23 at the end, she was tiny like a model. We had to keep taking the bodice in and changing the pattern. The last thing we wanted was to make it up in silk, then have to play around with that. Silk soon looks worn if you work it too much,” she added.

A 23-inch waistline is 000 in American size, which is equivalent to a health waist measurement of a 12-year-old. Emanuel’s team, at that time, had to keep redesigning the gown to cope with Diana’s rapid weight loss.

Sally Bedell Smith, in her tell-all book “Charles: The Misunderstood Prince,” echoed the same sentiments. She detailed that Princess Diana was “anxious, depressed, and volatile.” She was also claustrophobic and was reportedly suffering from bulimia.

Followers of the royal family’s public life were in for a surprise when the princess herself revealed in a footage featured in the Netflix documentary “The Story Of Diana” that she knew Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker Bowles. “As I walked up the aisle I was looking for her,” she said in a heartbreaking confession.

Andrew Morton, the princess’ official biographer, also shared that the now-deceased royalty was “hopeful” that the affair would come to an end. In an exclusive footage of the wedding at St. Paul’s Cathedral, Princess Diana’s eyes were caught scanning the building, acknowledging Camilla’s unwanted presence in their relationship.

Emanuel, rather than be amazed by the exquisite gown she made, was “horrified” upon seeing the princess arrive at the venue. “I was horrified, really, because it was quite a lot of creasing,” she explained, referring to how the weight loss affected her wedding look. “It was a lot more than we thought.”