Princess Diana’s pal has secured a major victory in a legal battle with her ex-husband.
Elizabeth Emanuel, the designer behind the late Princess of Wales’s wedding dress, has spoken out about enduring a four-year legal battle with her ex-husband, David Emanuel.
The former couple designed Diana’s wedding dress when she walked down the aisle in St Paul’s Cathedral to marry then-Prince Charles in 1981.
Elizabeth and David separated in 1990, two years before Princess Diana and Charles’s separation.
Princess Diana and Elizabeth Emanuel pictured in 1997
Getty
It is understood their business and personal relationship fractured following their split.
Since then, Elizabeth lost the right to design under her own name until she won it back three years ago.
She suffered a blow during the Covid pandemic, this time dealt by David.
Four years ago, he brought legal action against his ex-wife and a south London auction house.
David previously alleged that Elizabeth had infringed his copyright when she reproduced drawings she had made when designing Diana’s wedding dress, and then put those sketches up for sale.
However, on October 18, the pair announced that they had “amicably” settled the High Court case.
Elizabeth hopes that the conclusion of this latest “horrible” episode will put an end to a rift that resurfaced with the launch of the proceedings three decades after Emanuel Couture collapsed.
She told The Telegraph: “It’s been difficult for me since 1990 with David, although the lawyers only started in 2020.
Elizabeth Emanuel and David Emanuel photographed together in 2010
PA
“But the court case process was really horrible for me, deeply upsetting because I couldn’t think of one reason why we couldn’t just have talked it through.
“Nobody [around me] understood his need to take me to court. Why would he start something like that? Nobody wants a fight in public.
“I was just trying to keep my studio going and raise some money. I was just trying to survive like anybody else.
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Sketches of the front and back views of Diana’s wedding dress
PA
“I just couldn’t believe that David brought this action against me. I had no warning. It came out of nowhere and he left me no choice but to have to defend myself.
“It was so upsetting because I knew that after everything I had been through this was yet another hurdle I had to clear. I really didn’t want to go to court to defend myself, and part of me felt very angry that he’d left me no choice.”
She added: “But now I want peace. I want to move forward to the next chapter of my life. It’s all settled. I wish him well, I really do.”
