Princess Diana’s famed “revenge dress”, a custom black silk evening gown by Christina Stambolian, will go under the hammer at Sotheby’s on 9 December, with estimates of up to $300,000 (£220,000). The dress, worn at a Vanity Fair party in London just hours after Prince Charles admitted to an affair with Camilla Parker‑Bowles, became a pop‑culture icon when Diana arrived in the Serpentine Gallery in 1994.
The garment was first offered at auction in 1997, when the late princess sold 79 dresses to support charities. Sotheby’s Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, Morgane Halimi, said the princess “understood instinctively” that fashion could be a powerful language, turning the dress into a statement during a highly scrutinised moment of her life.
Anna Harvey, Diana’s stylist, recalled that the princess wanted to look “a million dollars” and chose the strapless dress, accessorised with a royal jewel, a black clutch and pumps. The same night, Diana’s vintage Jaguar XJ40, sold earlier this year for £66,250, was driven to the event.
Should the dress fetch a higher price, it would join other items from Diana’s wardrobe that have sold for significant sums, such as her 2023 sweater that fetched £920,000 at a Sotheby’s auction in New York.
Collectors and fans will watch closely as the auction proceeds, hoping to see the iconic gown change hands once again.
