Princess Diana’s famous dress goes up for auction, expected to sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars

The black dress Princess Diana wore to a gala in London, just hours after the then-Prince Charles publicly admitted to being unfaithful during their marriage, is set to be offered for sale at auction.

The outfit, custom-made by designer Christina Stambolian, became one of the most recognizable elements of Diana’s public image. The princess wore it at the Serpentine Gallery in 1994, in an appearance that became one of the most talked-about pop culture moments of the time.

Because of the circumstances and the message it conveyed, the media dubbed it the “revenge dress.” Today, it ranks among the most iconic pieces in Princess Diana’s wardrobe.

Sotheby’s estimates that the dress could sell for up to $300,000, or around £220,000. The auction is scheduled to take place on December 9.

This is the first time the dress has gone up for auction since 1997. At the time, Princess Diana put 79 of her dresses up for sale to raise money for charities, Sotheby’s said.

Morgane Halimi, who heads Sotheby’s global handbags and fashion department, said Diana “instinctively understood” the power of fashion as a form of communication.

“On her own terms, Princess Diana turned the dress into one of the most powerful messages she ever conveyed, during one of the most scrutinized and emotionally charged periods of her life,” Halimi said.

According to Halimi, at a time when the narrative surrounding Diana’s life was being shaped by others, choosing this outfit allowed the princess “to reclaim control of the narrative herself.”

Diana’s personal stylist at the time, Anna Harvey, had said that the princess “wanted to look like a million dollars,” according to Sotheby’s records.

For the charity dinner, Diana changed the outfit she had planned to wear at the last minute. She chose the sleeveless black dress by Greek designer Christina Stambolian and completed the look with a black handbag, black shoes and a piece of royal jewelry.

The Jaguar XJ40 in which the princess traveled to the event was also sold at auction earlier this year for £66,250. Despite this, the dress is expected to command a much higher price on the market.

Another of Princess Diana’s garments previously demonstrated the strong interest among collectors. In 2023, her sheep sweater, featuring one black sheep among white sheep, was sold by Sotheby’s in New York for £920,000.