Princess Diana's most iconic outfit is going up for auction after global tour - but it could bring back tough memories for William and Harry
This elegant piece is instantly recognisable but whilst we admire the style, it might remind her sons of a painful confession
It's rare that a royal's outfit surpasses their wedding dress as their most memorable look but Princess Diana's so-called "revenge dress" certainly did that. The late Princess wore the Christina Stambolian design in June 1994 and now, almost 30 years after the royal sold it for £39,098 to raise money for charity, it's going up for auction again.
But first it's being taken on a world exhibition tour worthy of such a historic royal look. Diana's "revenge dress" will start at Sotheby's London during London Fashion Week from 18th-24th September, then go to Hong Kong, Geneva and New York City throughout the autumn and will be sold in December by Sotheby's.
The auction house estimates it's now worth between £110,000 and £220,000 and for fans, it's a precious slice of history and a beautiful frock. For Prince William and Prince Harry, though, the interest around the dress could bring back painful memories.
Princess Diana stepped out in the black strapless dress at the Serpentine Gallery and it got its famous "revenge" nickname from the media because of the timing. That same evening King Charles gave a televised interview in which he confessed his infidelity with now-Queen Camilla.
Asked by Jonathan Dimbleby if he was "faithful and honourable" to his wife, Charles replied, "yes, absolutely" and was pressed on this by the journalist, "And you were?"
It was then that the monarch responded, "Yes. Until it became irretrievably broken down, us both having tried."
Referencing the dual roles of the white and black swans in the ballet Swan Lake, the designer of the "revenge dress" has discussed the meaning behind Diana's choice to wear it that night.
"She chose not to play the scene like Odette, innocent in white," Christina Stambolian claimed to Harper's Bazaar in 2022. "She was clearly angry. She played it like Odile in black. She wore bright red nail enamel, which we had never seen her do before. She was saying: 'Let's be wicked tonight.'"
When King Charles gave his interview and Diana wore this dress, Prince William was almost 12 and Prince Harry 9. This would've been an incredibly difficult time for the couple's sons and new personal revelations like Charles's brought extra scrutiny.
Although they were probably too young to watch their father's interview or appreciate the significance of their mother's dress, they'll now be very aware of the narrative surrounding both.
The dress might represent power and strength for Diana but it also points back to a moment that doesn't have the happiest associations for William and Harry. Now the Princes will inevitably be reminded of all of this again.
Last year on The Reluctant Traveler, Prince William spoke about the importance of a happy home atmosphere during childhood and briefly noted how Charles and Diana's divorce affected things.
"I think it's really important that that atmosphere is created at home, you have to have that feeling of warmth, security, love that all has to be there," he said. "And that was certainly part of my childhood. My parents got divorced at 8, so that lasted a short period of time but you take that and you learn from it."
