A retired engineer, who realised she was transgender aged three, but lived as a man for half a century – marrying and fathering a son – is finally living happily as a woman, aged 57.

Despite secretly wearing her sisters' dresses growing up and spending her Saturday job money on frocks, which she would wear under her bed covers in case anyone saw her, Emily Denise Iannielli - born Edward Donald Iannielli - only told her family and friends she had been born in the wrong body when she passed 50.

'Now, finally, I can be who I want to be,' said Emily, from Brooklyn, New York who is medically retired and claims disability benefits.

Finally able to openly indulge her love of dressing up, Emily even buys wedding dresses, pretending to bridal shop staff - like Muriel, played by Toni Collette, in the 1990s hit movie Muriel's Wedding - that she is tying the knot.

'I love the whole experience,' said Emily, who is speaking out to encourage other older people to transition. 'I love dressing up, trying the wedding dresses on. I married as a man, so never got to be a bride.'

A retired engineer from New York, who realised she was born in the wrong body aged three lived as a man for half a century but is finally living happily as a woman, aged 57

Emily Iannielli, then Edward, with her son. She only told her family and friends she had been born in the wrong body when she passed 50

Emily as a child (left). She knew she was born in the wrong body at the age of three and used to secretly pilfer her sisters' dresses. Emily Iannielli in her yearbook photograph as Edward (right)

Just three when she first realised something was amiss, Emily, who wants other people to realise 'it's never too late' to come out, struggled with her identity growing up.

'I used to sneakily wear my sisters Kathleen and Joan's dresses,' she said. 'No-one knew and I loved it.

'As a teen, I wore more androgynous clothes – trousers that men and woman could wear.'

Then, getting a Saturday job as a waitress, aged 16, she squirrelled away her earnings and splashed out on ultra-feminine floral frocks.

The retired engineer wants to show other transgender people that it's never too late to live an authentic life

Emily has found her fashion niche, favouring knee-length dresses with trendy boots

By the time she went away to study engineering at Virginia Tech college in her early 20s, Emily – then Edward – knew for definite she was not a man, but refused to admit it, openly.

'I'd buy girls' clothes from charity shops, then get rid of them, thinking I couldn't have all these feminine clothes, before doing it all over again,' she said. 'I must've done that six times in my lifetime.'

Then, on a blind date in her mid-30s, she met Maria - the woman who would go on to become her wife.

Emily Iannielli and her son. She has stayed with her wife, making their son their priority

Emily Iannielli spoofs Caitlyn Jenner's famous Vanity Fair cover - Call me Caitlyn

'I didn't tell her of my secret longing to be a woman,' she admitted. 'We got on well and married in 1997.'

The couple had a son, who Emily does not wish to name, and lived happily together.

But, in 1999, Maria stumbled across a big pile of then-Edward's dresses.

'I told her they were my mum Catherine's who had recently died,' said Emily, who was still buying and binning feminine clothes at an alarming rate.

Emily, pictured as Edward, would buy girls' clothes from charity shops and then get rid of them, thinking she couldn't have all these feminine clothes

Finally able to openly indulge her love of dressing up, Emily even buys wedding dresses

Then, in 2002, Maria spotted her husband dancing around their living room in a dress. Again, Emily lied her way out of it.

'I said I wore dresses to relieve my stress, that there was nothing more to it. But it wasn't true,' she said.

Finally, in September 2012, Emily made the brave decision to live full-time as a woman and found the courage to share her secret.

Emily Iannielli, then Edward, on a fising trip before she started living as a woman. She is now taking estrogen hormones and a testosterone suppressant

Previously, she had only confessed to her sisters – in a Christmas card she had sent them in her early 30s.

So, Emily collected her wife's family from the airport, wearing a dress.

It had taken 50 years, during which time there had been nine presidents, for her to come out as transgender.

'Maria was, understandably, very shocked and rather upset,' she said, adding that the couple have stayed together, making their son their priority. 'But I knew I had to live as Emily, the woman I always wanted to be.

Emily's wife Maria was shocked at first when she turned up to collect her family in the airport in a dress, but the couple are still together

The fashionista can't resist indulging in her love of wedding dresses, pretending to bridal shop staff that she's getting married

'I chose Emily because wife used the acronym EMMI for our names at the end of emails so I wanted Emmi but when I told my friend, he thought I'd said Emily and that just clicked. It felt right.'

Now Emily, who still has male genitalia but is taking estrogen hormones and a testosterone suppressant, is comfortable in her own skin and has even found her fashion niche – favouring knee-length dresses with trendy boots.

'I finally feel like me, although I hope, one day, to have surgery,' she said.

'I still love wedding dresses – with my favourite style being 'spring bride.'

'I know none of this has been easy on my family.

'But, when I stand proudly, wearing a wedding gown, I know Edward is dead and that, at last, Emily is free.'