Princess Diana’s iconic ‘revenge dress’ goes up for auction – and is expected to fetch an eye-watering amount

FEW outfits have quite turned heads in the way that Princess Diana’s iconic ‘revenge dress’ did. With a sultry off-the-shoulder look and a thigh-high slit, the figure-hugging dress showed the then-Prince Charles, exactly what he was missing. Princess Diana’s ‘revenge dress’ – which she wore at the Serpentine Gallery, London – has gone down in the history books Credit: Getty – contributor The iconic Christina Stambolian dress is due to sold by auction later this year Credit: PA Paired with a pearl choker, high heels and red lipstick, it gave a masterclass in showing how elegance can be the ultimate revenge. Many saw the daring dress as sending a message to Prince Charles, who had admitted in a TV interview to committing adultery with Camilla Parker Bowles, who is now his wife. Sign up for the Royals newsletter Thank you! So iconic was the outfit that a dedicated Wikipedia page was created in its honour. Thirty-two years after it stunned the world – as Diana, Princess of Wales wore it to London’s Serpentine Gallery on June 29, 1994 – the dress is set to make another appearance. Sotheby’s New York will flog the dress in December – and it is expected to rake in a huge sum Credit: PA The showstopping dress featured a sultry off-the-shoulder design Credit: PA In December, Sotheby’s New York is selling the Christina Stambolian-designed dress in an auction. It will be the first time in nearly three decades that the garment – arguably the world’s most famous ‘LBD’ (little black dress) – will be up for grabs. Princess Diana wore the dress only once, before selling it at a 1997 charity auction of 79 dresses to help raise funds for cancer and Aids charities. After it was snapped up by the current owner, it hasn’t been on the market since. Most read in Fabulous On June 29, 1994, Diana wore a little black dress to a dinner in Kensington Gardens Credit: PA She deliberately wore it out on the same night Prince Charles confirmed adultery on TV Credit: Channel 5 Some of the proceeds from the upcoming Sotheby’s sale will also have a charitable benefit, and go towards NHS Lothian Charity on behalf of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital. Diana’s stylist Anna Harvey claimed that Diana opted to wear the LBD at the eleventh hour, after it had been in her possession for three years. Although she had previously deemed it to be too daring to wear in public, on this occasion, she wanted to look “a million dollars”, according to Anna. The dress may, in fact, reach such lofty heights in the auction, some predict the final sale could reach a million dollars – or even surpass it. The late royal made the front page the next day Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd It was designed by Christina Stambolian – and now could sell for a million dollars Credit: Getty Sotheby’s estimates it will fetch between $150,000 (£110,000) and $300,000 (£221,000). Previous items of Princess Diana’s that have been sold include a velvet Victor Edelstein dress that went for $604,800 (£446,000) in 2023, five times more than what was expected. In September 2023, her iconic “sheep jumper” fetched fourteen times more than the auction house’s estimate to sell for $1.1million (£812,000) in New York. Meanwhile, a Jacques Azagury gown worn by Diana in Florence, Italy, in 1985, sold for $1,148,080 (£847,207.10) in December 2023. While many fans can only dream of having enough funds to splash a million dollars on the revenge dress, they may be able to see it at least. Ahead of the auction, the black dress is to tour in London, Hong Kong and Geneva, before heading to New York for public exhibition and the sale. For the UK stint, the historic garment will be displayed at Sotheby’s on Bond Street between September 18 and 24, and admission is free. Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, said in a statement that Princess Diana “understood instinctively” the power of fashion. Halimi said: “On her own terms, Princess Diana turned the dress into one of the most powerful messages she ever made, during one of the most scrutinised and emotionally charged episodes of her life. “She walked into a moment in which so much of her story was being told for her and, through what she chose to wear, reclaimed the narrative for herself.” Comment now