Princess Diana’s famous black dress, known as the «Revenge Dress», is set to go under the hammer at the renowned Sotheby’s auction house in New York. The dress is estimated to fetch between $150,000 and $300,000, according to WWD.

It is the iconic strapless black silk dress by Greek designer Christina Stambolian, which Diana wore to a Vanity Fair charity event at London’s Serpentine Gallery in 1994. That same evening, her husband, Prince Charles, publicly admitted to being unfaithful during a televised interview.

 

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Diana had originally planned to wear a much more understated Valentino look. However, she changed her mind at the last minute. The following day, photographs of Diana from the event appeared on the front pages of newspapers around the world. The look later became one of the most famous examples of so-called «revenge dressing» — clothing used to project confidence, independence and a readiness to begin a new chapter.

Princess Diana parted with the dress in 1997, just a few months before she was killed in a car crash in Paris, selling it at a charity auction.

The dress subsequently entered a private collection and remained out of the public eye for nearly three decades. It was last displayed at the Paisley Museum in Scotland, after which it disappeared from public view.

 

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At Sotheby’s, they believe the significance of the dress has long extended far beyond fashion.

«On her own terms, Princess Diana transformed this dress into one of the most powerful statements of her life — during a period that was among the most public and emotionally charged of her life», the auction house commented.

A portion of the proceeds from the sale will be donated by Sotheby’s to NHS Lothian Charity to support the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

Interestingly, ahead of the auction on December 9, the dress will embark on a worldwide tour. Its first stop will be London, where it will go on display on September 18. It will then be shown in Hong Kong and Geneva before arriving in New York.

Photo: Still from the series «The Crown»

A major exhibition dedicated to the life and legacy of Princess Diana is being prepared in California. Titled «Princess Diana: Love Life Legacy — A Life of Giving», the exhibition will open on November 7 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley.

Visitors will be able to see more than 700 personal belongings of the late princess, spanning different chapters of her life — from her childhood and her years as the Princess of Wales to her charitable work and motherhood, Vanity Fair reports.

 

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The exhibition is being organized in partnership with the collection of Reneé Plant, founder of the Princess Diana Museum, who has assembled one of the world’s largest private collections of Diana’s personal belongings.

The exhibition will feature some of her most famous outfits, jewelry, handwritten letters, photographs and personal items.

One of the highlights will be Diana’s iconic red sheep sweater, which she wore to a polo match. What initially appeared to be an ordinary piece of clothing later became one of the most recognizable symbols of Diana’s style and a true cultural phenomenon.

 

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Another iconic piece is the black Victor Edelstein dress Diana wore when she danced with John Travolta at a reception at the White House in 1985. The moment became one of the most memorable episodes of her public life.

 

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Particular attention will also be drawn to the so-called «Caring Dress» — a floral dress Diana wore while visiting sick children in São Paulo, Australia and Seville. In 2025, Reneé Plant purchased the dress at auction for $520,000.

 

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The exhibition will also include Diana’s wedding shoes, jewelry, letters, photographs and personal belongings from her childhood, when she was still part of the Spencer family.

Among the exhibits will also be a dress by Jacques Azagury, known as the «Last Farewell». Diana tried on the dress just days before her tragic death on August 31, 1997.

The exhibition will run through May 31, 2027.

Photo: Instagram @theprincessdianamuseum