Prince Harry’s royal title dropped from Diana exhibition

‘Administrative error’ blamed for incorrect labeling on iconic wedding dress and will be corrected

The ‘Royal Style in the Making’ exhibition will display Diana’s iconic wedding dress at Kensington Palace for the first time in 25 years (Getty Images)

An exhibition displaying Princess Diana’s iconic wedding dress at Kensington Palace has dropped Prince Harry’s royal title.

Labels on items that once belonged to the Princess of Wales, showcased in the “Royal Style in the Making” exhibition, initially read: “Lent by HRH the Duke of Cambridge and HRH the Duke of Sussex,” The Sunday Times reported.

The labels will now be updated, removing Prince Harry’s HRH title, in accordance with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s departure from royal life, according to the Royal Collection Trust.

Since stepping back from their roles as senior royals in 2020 and moving to California, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were allowed to retain their HRH royal titles, but have agreed not to use them, in contrast to Diana who was stripped of her HRH title following her divorce from Prince Charles.

A spokesperson for the Royal Collection Trust said: “The items were lent by HRH The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex. Due to an administrative error, for which Royal Collection Trust was responsible, the labels were incorrect and will be updated.”

The exhibition is said to explore “the intimate relationship between fashion designer and royal client, revealing the process behind the creation of a number of the most couture commissions in royal history”.

Alongside Diana’s 1981 wedding dress, which was designed by David and Elizabeth Emmanuel, and will be displayed at Kensington Palace for the first time in 25 years, the pink suit that Diana wore on her honeymoon with Prince Charles, designed by Belville Sassoon, will also be showcased.

The exhibition also includes a rare surviving toile – a linen cloth prototype – for the 1937 coronation gown of the Queen Mother. Original sketches, swatches of fabric, and photographs from the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection will also be on display.

The “Royal Style in the Making” exhibition runs until January 2022.