With all of the speculation as to who will design Kate’s wedding dress, we can’t help but reflect on the dress Princess Diana chose for her own wedding.

Almost 30 years to the day, it is still one of the most recognized and iconic wedding dresses ever to be worn. Sure, the look doesn’t transition well to today’s wedding fashion (we’re sure Kate won’t be sporting the Cinderella look); but remember, this was 1981 and the dress was the epitome of fabulous.

Readers, if you’re anything like us, it was Princess Di and her wedding that sparked our love of England and all things-Windsor. When she stepped out of that glass coach to walk down the aisle to meet Prince Charles, we knew we were witnessing something – and someone – special.

And now, you can view the dress for yourself!

Diana, A Celebration is a traveling exhibition from her ancestral home in the English county of Northhamptonshire that displays 150 of her famous mementos, home videos of Diana as a child and many of her famous outfits – including her amazing wedding dress.

The dress, in all its glory – puffy sleeves with copious yards of hand-sewn lace and taffeta, is displayed with the 25-foot train laid out in full. No detail was spared – a parasol that was made to match the dress (in case of rain) is also displayed in a glass case nearby.

Dress on Display

The exhibition just wrapped up a successful run in Grand Rapids, Michigan where it drew more than 50,000. It its way to Kansas City, Missouri where it will be held at Union Station from March 4 thru June 12, 2011 (straight through William and Kate’s wedding).

On the way to Kansas City, the dress itself made a stop to New York City on NBC’s Today Show; where it was presented as it is shown in the exhibition.

This seems like such an amazing exhibition! While we didn’t have Kansas City on our holiday radar, we may have to make a quick stop to see these amazing mementos. More information on the exhibit can be found at the Diana, A Celebration website.

Kate and Camilla Lunching

Fellow diners at London’s Koffmann’s at The Berkeley hotel experienced a Royal treat on Wednesday. Britain’s Daily Mail  reports that Kate was spotted lunching with her future stepmother-in-law Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall.

Kate’s sister, Pippa, and Camilla’s daughter, Laura, joined the ladies for the three-hours of fun.

Was Kate earning brownie points with the in-laws? Might Camilla be giving Kate wedding advice? Providing guidance to a future Royal? Gossiping about the ins-and-outs and ups-and-downs of the Windsor clan? (We bet there is some good dirt there!)

Some onlookers blabbed that Kate had a notebook with her and heard Camilla say, “If I could give you a bit of advice,” during the meal. Surely there was something important to remember!

One  fellow diner told the Daily Mail, “All four women were talking away like mad and none of the waiters could get a word in edgeways to serve their lunch. Kate looked fantastic in a very short black skirt, black opaque tights, a short jacket and boots.”

Another added, “I did hear talk of trumpets and someone said, “we can’t have trumpets, the ceiling is too high,” which may have been a reference to Westminster Abbey.”

Apparently Kate even aired her humorous side while discussing the nuptials when she was heard saying, “What if William doesn’t turn up?”

Aside from any wedding or Windsor chat, the Camilla and Kate had one thing in common – both of their princes are out of town. Prince Charles is currently away while giving a speech in Brussels while William is likely performing duties at the Royal Air Force Valley in North Wales.

While the cats are away, the mice will play!