EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Diana dress designer’s companies both go bust

EDEN CONFIDENTIAL: Diana dress designer’s companies both go bust

In 1981, Lady Diana Spencer’s wedding at St Paul’s Cathedral captured global attention, with her ivory silk taffeta and lace bridal gown, crafted by David Emanuel and his wife Elizabeth, viewed by an estimated 750 million people watching on television worldwide.

Despite the iconic status of the gown, its creation did not guarantee long-term success for David Emanuel. Both of his businesses, Licensed to Design and Renaissance Man, have recently collapsed, leaving him with nearly £300,000 in outstanding debts. Newly filed documents reveal £280,443 owed to Licensed to Design, established in 2002, and £19,000 to Renaissance Man, founded in 2018.

David, 73, has disclosed his financial obligations to liquidators through Statements of Affairs, listing assets valued at £164,000 as uncertain to recover. Among his liabilities are £72,000 in corporation tax to HMRC, £103,000 to NatWest Bank, and £33,000 to Ovo Energy. His daughter Eloise is also listed as a creditor, owing £5,000 from each company.

“Both of us are more stressed than excited because we lost our last pregnancy,” admits Grace Beverley, who was head chorister at Salisbury Cathedral. “The excitement mixed with the anxiety of knowing you can’t go through that pain again so soon.”

Grace Beverley, 29, the founder of popular activewear brand Tala and fitness app Shreddy, recently shared her joy over a new pregnancy. This follows a miscarriage last autumn that left her heartbroken. The Oxford graduate, now married to photographer Amar Daved, 39, is set to welcome their first child.

Strictly Come Dancing star Erin Boag recounted a harrowing incident involving her 11-year-old son Ewan. During a game with friends, his finger was severed, prompting an urgent trip to the hospital. After being referred to St George’s for plastic surgery, medical staff successfully saved the finger. Erin praised the NHS for its role in Ewan’s recovery, expressing gratitude for the care that allowed him to return to sport and piano.

Tali Lennox, 33, celebrated her birthday in a striking Medieval-themed outfit, complete with a brown pagan-style dress, a gothic circlet, and a vintage pendant. Her look, described as a warrior-maiden ensemble, was accompanied by a candle, reflecting her eclectic fashion sense.

Pop star Paloma Faith suggested that metropolitan Lefties should reconsider their support for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. “I do think that the liberal Left, which I am sort of part of, have this habit of dismissing people who don’t agree with them,” she said on her podcast. “And I don’t think that’s how we’re going to win.”