Princess Diana’s Blonde & Blue-Eyed Niece Wore a Stunning Victorian Gown to Her Wedding: ‘Beyond My Wildest Dreams’
|Lady Kitty Spencer looked breathtaking like her late aunt, Princess Diana, in her wedding dress by Dolce and Gabbana. The doting bride shared snapshots of her gorgeous gown on Instagram, thanking the fashion house for making her wedding dress dreams come true.
On July 24, 2021, Princess Diana’s niece, Lady Kitty Spencer tied the knot with Michael Lewis, a billionaire tycoon. The couple held their wedding ceremony in Italy, together with their closest family and friends.
Kitty’s husband, 32 years her senior, is five years older than her dad, Charles Spencer. Nevertheless, their love endured and finally became legally binding.
Lady Kitty Spencer during the opening of the Princess of Wales Memorial Playground | Source: Getty Images
Lady Kitty Spencer Wore a Gorgeous Victorian Wedding Dress
Kitty was a vision in white on her wedding day as she exchanged vows with Lewis in a gorgeous Victorian dress. The doting bride donned a lacy Dolce and Gabanna gown that featured puffed long sleeves and a buttoned front detail from the top of her turtle neck until the bottom of the garment.
The dress with a cinched waist also featured a corset underneath the lace. Kitty’s wedding ensemble also had a long white train with lace details toward the edges.
Lady Kitty Spencer during the Evian Celebrity Hospitality Marque at Wimbledon on June 22, 2008, in London, England | Source: Getty Images
Lady Kitty Spencer during the wedding of Emily McCorquodale and James Hutt at The Church of St Andrew and St Mary, Stoke Rochford on June 9, 2012, in Grantham, England | Source: Getty Images
She kept her makeup subtle for the occasion and neatly fixed her blonde hair in a low bun, showing her resemblance to Diana. In her post featuring her wearing the gown, part of her caption read:
“Thank you from the bottom of my heart Domenico & Stefano for creating a gown beyond my wildest dreams for the most important day of my life.”
Kitty also shared snippets of her final fitting on Instagram, detailing the wonderful time she had working with the fashion house. “Our fittings were filled with laughter, many happy tears, pure joy and unbridled passion,” she noted.
As Emanuel recalled, Diana lost about three inches off her waist during her wedding preparations, which was nothing short of unusual for brides.
During the reception that followed the nuptials, Kitty changed into her second gown: a pink short-sleeved dress with floral embroidery and a flowing hemline. She looked stunning in both her outfits for the celebration.
Interestingly, several guests also opted to wear Dolce and Gabanna pieces, including Viscountess Weymouth, fashion designer Jade Holland Cooper, and socialite Marjorie Gubelmann.
The newlywed couple held their wedding at the Villa Aldobrandini in Frascati, Italy, and seated several family members, including the bride’s brothers, Samuel Aitken and Louis Spencer, as well as her sisters, twins Eliza and Amelia Spencer.
Princess Diana’s Wedding Dress
Just like Kitty, her late aunt also had a gorgeous and iconic wedding dress. Diana chose Elizabeth Emanuel to design her gown ahead of her 1981 wedding to then-Prince Charles.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles on the balcony of Buckingham Palace on their wedding day on July 29, 1981 | Source: Getty Images
Princess Diana on her wedding day, July 29, 1981. | Source: Getty Images
As Emanuel recalled, Diana lost about three inches off her waist during her wedding preparations, which was nothing short of unusual for brides. When she walked down the aisle, Diana had a slim 23-inch waist and looked absolutely gorgeous.
Emanuel, who was working with her husband, David, in designing Diana’s dress, described her as a wonderful and easy-going person.
Lady Diana Spencer during a summer holiday in 1971 in Itchenor, West Sussex in Britain | Source: Getty Images
Princess Diana smiles for a photo in Kensington Palace | Source: Getty Images
Emanuel, who was working with her husband, David, in designing Diana’s dress, described her as a wonderful and easy-going person. She was a calm bride who gave them creative freedom to design her gown as they wanted. Like her niece, Diana’s gown also had long sleeves and a long train.
On the big day, Emanuel described Diana as calm and put-together. Meanwhile, he was panicked, scared of all the possibilities something could go wrong. Fortunately, the dress turned out well.
Princess Diana at a banquet in Munich in November 1987 | Source: Getty Images
Princess Diana visiting the Royal Brompton Hostpital | Source: Getty Images
Who is Lady Kitty Spencer?
Besides wedding dresses, there’s more Kitty shares with her famous aunt. The eldest daughter of Diana’s younger brother, Charles Spencer, and his wife, Victoria, is also a philanthropist.
Much like the People’s Princess, Kitty holds charities close to her heart, including Centrepoint, an organization for the homeless youth that her late aunt supported. In 2016, Kitty quietly dropped by two Centrepoint bases to look into a project.
Kitty Eleanor Spencer at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London | Source: Getty Images
Viscount Althorp (Earl Spencer) and Victoria Spencer with their daughter Kitty Eleanor at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London | Source: Getty Images
Viscount Althorp (Earl Spencer) and Kitty Eleanor Spencer at St. Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London | Source: Getty Images
Kitty shared a glimpse of her visit on Instagram, sharing a preview of the charity’s mission. She also posted about some of the conversations she has had with young women who hope to be a midwife and dance studio owners.
Next in line to the throne and Kitty’s cousin, Prince William, is also a patron of Centrepoint. He once credited his mother’s role in the organization as a significant factor in helping him see life beyond palace walls.
Lady Kitty Spencer during the Evening Standard Theatre Awards at Theatre Royal Drury Lane on November 18, 2018, in London, England | Source: Getty Images
Lady Kitty Spencer during Milan Fashion Week on February 21, 2020, in Milan, Italy | Source: Getty Images
“I was very struck by the people I met and what they were struggling with – sleeping rough, sofa surfing, not having basic comforts a lot of us take for granted,” he said.
Diana undoubtedly had a significant influence on the lives of those around her. Her brother, Charles, believed she had a special power that made people feel comfortable with her presence. “She could make any person, whether they were the grandest or the most humble, feel totally at ease in her company,” he said.
Princess Diana waves at the crowd during the last day of her visit in Chicago | Source: Getty Images
The enduring legacy of Diana persists in her sons through their philanthropic deeds and in their commitment to preserving and honoring her memory. However, along with the good memories they have with their mother come the bad ones, including her broken heart amidst divorcing her husband, then-Prince Charles.
Princess Diana claimed that her husband’s infidelity negatively impacted their family and affected the lives of their two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry. When her husband’s interview admitting adultery came out, she first thought of protecting her sons. Fortunately, both William and Harry grew up to be well-rounded family men.