Prince Diana’s dress creator David Emanuel, 66, has found love again with his male business partner nearly 30 years after splitting from his wife
- David Emanuel was the man behind Princess Diana’s famous wedding gown
- He had a long and acrimonious split from his wife Elizabeth who he wed in 1976
- Now he has revealed he is in a relationship with business partner David Byrne
Fashion designer David Emanuel’s split from wife Elizabeth was a bitter and acrimonious affair.
But I’m delighted to report that the man behind Princess Diana’s famous wedding gown has found love again.
Emanuel, 66, has revealed that he is in a relationship with his business partner, David Byrne. The pair have known each other for several years.
So happy: The designer of Princess Diana’s famous wedding gown David Emanuel (right) has found love with his business partner David Byrne (left)
David and Elizabeth designed one of the most famous dresses in the world for Princess Diana’s wedding
‘It’s true, we are together,’ beamed Emanuel at a party last week.
‘It’s not a case of going gay as such but now that I am with David, he helps me with business things and we are a couple.’
Asked if his ex-wife, with whom he has two children – Ollie, 39, and Eloise, 38 – was aware of his new romance, he replied: ‘I don’t know if Elizabeth knows and I don’t care.’
The Emanuels shot to fame in 1981 when it was revealed that they were the brains and hands behind Diana’s iconic ivory silk taffeta and antique lace dress, with a 25ft train.
The Emanuels had their own wedding in 1976 but split in 1990, and Elizabeth left the family home. The couple went on to set up separate business ventures, with David establishing a couture firm.
The fashion designer had a long and acrimonious fall-out from his wife Elizabeth who he married in 1976
The pair never resolved their fallout and their only communication over the past years has been through their children. In fact, relations between the pair became so strained that they can no longer even tolerate being in the same room.
At a recent party at Kensington Palace, David, who was runner-up in I’m A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here in 2013, made no secret of their rift, saying: ‘I just heard she [Elizabeth] was on the guest list. If she walks in, I’m leaving.
‘I can’t bear these people who get on with their ex-wives and spouses so well and go on holiday with them, like Andrew Lloyd Webber. What’s that all about? If you get on so well and love each other so much, why get divorced?
‘I am happy now, incredibly proud of my two children and nothing has changed, really.’