Princess Diana’s iconic “revenge dress” sent a powerful message that she was reclaiming control of her own story, according to a fashion expert, as the celebrated gown went on public display in London.
The black silk dress was unveiled in Mayfair ahead of its auction, where it is expected to sell for more than £220,000.
Diana wore the dress in 1994, on the very evening her then-husband, Prince Charles, publicly acknowledged his infidelity during a televised interview.
Aware that the revelation was imminent, the princess chose a striking, figure-hugging, off-the-shoulder design by Greek fashion creator Christina Stambolian for a gala at London’s Serpentine Gallery.
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of handbags and fashion, said Diana selected the “beautiful and powerful outfit” to take charge of the public narrative surrounding her.
“She always used fashion as a form of expression, but this time it became a way to communicate her personal sense of self,” Ms Halimi said.
“The way she felt that day was: ‘I’m taking back the story, I’m here and I stand for myself.’”
Diana immediately drew attention in the gown, which challenged conventional royal dress codes with its black colour, plunging neckline and hemline above the knee.
Diana arrives at the Serpentine Gallery in Christina Stambolian’s design, later celebrated as her “revenge dress”
Sotheby’s London has opened the first public exhibition of the legendary dress in almost 30 years
The gown will remain on public view at Sotheby’s in London until September 24 before being offered at auction in New York in December.
Photographs of Diana in the dress, styled with a sapphire necklace, black pumps and vivid red nail polish, were published around the world.
One tabloid captured the public reaction with the next day’s front-page headline: “Revenge is chic.”
The following year, Diana discussed her own extramarital relationship in a television interview and famously declared, “There were three of us in this marriage,” referring to Charles’s relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles, now Queen Camilla.
Charles and Diana divorced in 1996. The princess died the following year in a Paris car crash at the age of 36.
The dress has remained so deeply associated with Diana that a life-size wax replica showing her wearing it was unveiled at a Paris museum last year.
It is being auctioned for the first time since 1997, when Diana sold the gown and other clothing to raise funds for AIDS charities.
Sotheby’s has placed a presale estimate of $150,000 to $300,000 on the dress, although specialists believe it could sell for considerably more.
A dress worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, is displayed at Sotheby’s auction house
A red sheep-patterned sweater Diana wore to a polo match in 1981 sold for $1.1 million in 2023—several times its presale estimate and a record for an item belonging to the late royal.
‘I personally believe that this dress is the most powerful item linked to Diana,’ Halimi said.
‘The Diana provenance always attracts collectors,’ she added. ‘But the story of this dress and the universal message that it brings will definitely attract also institutions as well as private collectors who are looking for unique pieces and one-of-a-kind items.’
In her lifetime, Diana was a style icon and one of the world’s most photographed women.
Her star power has not dimmed, and neither has the fascination with the dramatic disintegration of her marriage to the now King Charles III.
A new book by Diana’s brother Charles Spencer has seized headlines again and reignited a public feud between the Spencers and the Royal Family over the treatment of the princess.
The revenge dress is on show in London until September 24 and travels to Hong Kong and Geneva ahead of its sale in New York on December 9.
