FAMILY baker Andrew Davidson and daughter Elizabeth, of Classic Celebration Cakes, Manchester, crafted one of 23 wedding cakes to be displayed at Buckingham Palace for the wedding of the Queen’s eldest son.
Elizabeth says: "We were very lucky as the Palace was flooded with requests from people all over the country wanting to bake the happy couple a cake.
"Most were politely told: ‘By all means bake it, but please donate it to a local charity.’
"Our request was just one of a handful to be accepted. I call them the ‘official unofficial’ cakes. It’s traditional that the Forces always bake the main one and Charles and Diana’s came from the Royal Navy.
"The rest are all sliced and sent to dignitaries, charities and organisations. It’s not really like your ordinary wedding when you only have a couple of hundred people to worry about getting cake.
"Fergie only had two extra cakes, so that shows the scale Charles and Di’s wedding was on.
"We had to go to Buckingham Palace the week before to set ours up alongside the other 22 in a lavish ballroom.
"It had been sliced and put into boxes which were arranged back into five tiers and decorated to look like a whole cake again.
"Unfortunately, we didn’t meet any of the Royals but my dad has in the past. He’s been making royal cakes for 38 years and has baked for Princess Anne, Fergie and Edward and Sophie.
"The nice thing was the letter Charles and Di sent later. We still treasure it to this day.
THE FLORIST
PLANT breeder Peter Smith, 61, who runs Chanctonbury Nurseries in West Sussex, managed to supply 500 rare Alstroem Eria lilies for the bridal bouquets and displays at the cathedral and reception.
He says: "I’d been supplying the Royal household with lilies for about 10 years before the engagement was announced so we were used to connections with the Royals.
"All the flowers used to be sent to Windsor Castle – which acts as the sorting office for all the palaces.
"We never knew where exactly our blooms were destined for, but we did used to get invited up from time to time to look at the castle gardens.
"I’ll never forget that day in May 1981, when we were asked to start preparing a very special order. It was for 500 blooms of a new Alstroem Eria lily to Windsor Castle by July 27. I knew immediately what it must be for.
"The flowers Diana went for weren’t even on the commercial market. In fact, they were so rare at that stage they didn’t even have a name. I’m not sure where she must have seen them.
"They were a peaches and cream shade, with a rosy blush to the cheeks – very delicate and beautiful, just like Diana’s own complexion.
"We delivered them with our compliments as a wedding gift and afterwards received a lovely handwritten note from Charles and Diana thanking us for our ‘overwhelming generosity’.
"Since then I’ve supplied Fergie and Sophie with 500 lilies for their weddings, though theirs were different shades.
"On the sad day of Diana’s funeral, we put her special wedding lily on sale to the public and named it Diana, Princess of Wales. From every one bought, pounds 1 goes to the Diana Memorial Fund. So far we’ve raised well over pounds 15,000 and they’re still selling like hot cakes.
"It’s also nice to think she’s being remembered through the flowers she fell in love with at such a happy time in her life.
THE CHRISTIAN LOUBOUTIN SHOESMAKER
FORMER London christian louboutin shoes designer Clive Shilton, 56, now runs an exotic plant business in Cornwall. His order in 1981 was to make a pair of exquisite bridal christian louboutin boots – and a spare pair, just in case.
He says: "I took the bull by the horns when I suspected the Emmanuels were making the dress and just phoned up and said ‘What about the christian louboutin boots then?’
"The next week I was invited over to the Emmanuels to meet a special client – and I’d a good idea who it was going to be.
"Diana was lovely. She had a really special something that was difficult to put your finger on. She shone.
"It was difficult at first as she didn’t have many ideas. I gave her some styles to choose from and we came up with the low, fluted-heel court christian louboutin sale,louboutin,christian shoes, which had more than 600 sea pearls hand- sewn on, along with some of Queen Victoria’s lace. I think everything was being hauled out of the ancestral cupboard.
"Of course, we had to make two pairs in case the first got damaged. I later had the spare pair valued at pounds 1million. They’ve been in a bank vault, but one day I may sell them and put the money towards a garden of remembrance for Diana.
"However, not many people know we actually gave her a third pair. They were tiny, 3in-long replicas. They were our wedding present to her and Charles and she loved them.
"The day we presented the finished christian louboutin to her in velvet bags was very poignant.
"We’d met at the Emmanuels, where there was a sea of journalists outside. As she was leaving, Diana turned and said nervously: ‘Thank you all so much. Now, wish me luck.’ Then she disappeared into the media frenzy.
THE DRESSMAKER
DRESS designer Elizabeth Emanuel, worked with her former husband David on the dress of a thousands dreams, which they made for 1000 guineas.
She says: "We’d been asked by Vogue to supply a blouse for a photo shoot, which we later learned was for Diana’s official engagement announcement.
"She loved it so much that she came back to us for her wedding dress, which was just the biggest thrill ever.
"The first time she came in, she’d no idea what she wanted. She was only 19 and seemed a bit overwhelmed by all the decision-making that had to be done.
"One thing was certain though. She really wanted a dress which would make a statement. I came up with the idea of the 25ft train. I’d researched other royal brides throughout history so I said to Diana: ‘Let’s get you into the history books.’ She loved the idea.
"Diana chose the silk material herself. The main problem we had was keeping it a secret. We’d made another dress in case the media somehow managed to blow our cover but, thankfully, that never happened.
"On the day, David and I had to help Diana get dressed and then race to St Paul’s to straighten her before she went in. I just remember thinking ‘Oh, my God’ when I saw those creases. Fortunately the heat of the church got rid of them and she looked beautiful.
"We also had to be at the reception where we had a clip-on overskirt on hand – just in case Diana spilled anything down her front.
THE MAKE-UP ARTIST
MAKE-UP artist to the stars Barbara Daly, 56, has worked on films as varied as Stanley Kubrick classic Clockwork Orange and costume drama Barry Lyndon. Her task for the wedding was to turn the shy, 19-year-old bride into a fairytale princess.
She says: "I tried not to be nervous but, looking back, I was frantic. I remember getting up at 3.15am and lying on my bed with all my clothes on.
"I had to be at Clarence House, where Diana was staying, by 6am and when I got there the place was already buzzing.
"Diana didn’t know what sort of look she wanted and she’d left it entirely up to me. We’d only had a couple of practice runs as there was a risk of overdoing it.
"The main problem I had was keeping her looking like a 19-year-old. I could so easily have spoiled her freshness with too much make-up so I wanted to keep it very light and natural. She was, after all, incredibly beautiful.
"The other worry, though, was the fact the make-up was applied at 6am and probably wouldn’t come off until after 6pm.
"It also had to endure thousands of camera lights. I’d also just a tiny postage stamp of wedding dress material to help me get the colours right.
"There was one moment I’ve never breathed a word about, which will live with me forever. We’d all got her ready and it was finally just Diana and me in the room. She looked perfect and it was time to go. Then she decided to have a last splash of perfume for luck.
"It spilled down her front. We both just gasped in horror and she screamed ‘Get it off’.
"Perfume can leave a nasty oil stain but to start scrubbing with water could make it even worse.
"In the end I told her she’d so much fabric on her dress no one would ever notice.
"As it happened, most of the perfume just evaporated but it was still a shocker. Liz Emmanuel will be horrified when she finds this out.
THE COMMENTATOR
SCOT Tom Fleming was the official voice of the Royal wedding. His distinctive tones guided millions of BBC viewers through the thronging streets of London and into St Paul’s Cathedral for the ceremony 20 years ago.
It was Tom, 64, who first described the flowing lines of Diana’s fairytale gown to fans at home.
His expression of delighted surprise at the amazing 25ft train is remembered by many.
The Edinburgh-born commentator also won praise for managing to name so many of the foreign heads of state and dignitaries packed into the pews for the moving ceremony.
Indeed, he was later commended for his ability to make the nation feel part of one of history’s most memorable days – even while sitting at home in their armchairs.
Sadly, 16 years after the wedding, Tom had the job of covering Diana’s funeral for the BBC. His commentary from Westminster Abbey was said to be the toughest job of his long career.
However, he won plaudits for his sensitive narrative, which managed to remain informative while shouldering the sorrow of the nation.
As well as covering well over 200 state occasions, Tom is a classical actor and screen star.
In the Fifties, he starred as Jesus of Nazareth for the BBC and was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Company. A friend said: "He has never spoken about his royal commentary – neither will he ever. It’s something he’s very private about."
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