An adorable discovery has been made on a dress that belonged to Princess Diana thirty years ago.
Historians believe that they may have discovered Prince William and Prince Harry’s tiny handprints preserved on the fabric of one of her dresses – a long green velvet, Victor Edelstein gown that the late Princess possessed.
The stunning dress was originally designed in 1985 especially for the Princess to wear to private events, and so was never even seen in public until 1997 when Diana decided to auction it off for charity.
On the dress, the faint markings of a tiny hand can be seen. And experts have said that this could well be the case, saying the velvet fabric easily absorbs grease and dirt, and could certainly preserve the print of a tiny hand from over three decades ago.
The dress now takes pride of place in a new exhibition celebrating the beloved Princess’ stylish life in fashion, called ‘Diana: Her Fashion Story’, which begins at Kensington Palace on 24th February. Kensington Palace is the place where Diana resided during most of her royal life – so it seems fitting to bring the exhibition to a place Diana called home.
The exhibition will chart the evolution of Diana’s style throughout the years of her life, from her tentative first years as a Princess to her more glamorous and confident style in later life. Also on show alongside the velvet green number will be an iconic gown she wore to dance alongside John Travolta, whilst on a visit to the White House, and a tartan Bill Pashley suit she was photographed in on her honeymoon with Prince Charles.
The exhibition is just one of a number of events set to commemorate the 20th year since Diana’s tragic death in a car accident in Paris in 1997. A National Day of Kindness will also take place in March, while William and Harry also plan to put up a statue of their mother in the Kensington Palace gardens, to honour her memory. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will also travel to Paris to commemorate the anniversary of her death.
‘Diana: Her Fashion Story’, opens on 24th February, and will run throughout 2017. Book tickets at the Historical Royal Palaces website here.
