Princess Diana's black evening gown will forever be iconic, not just as a fashion statement but also as a sign of resilience and power. It is again making headlines as the late Princess of Wales's wax statue was unveiled at the Musée Grevin in Paris on November 20, 2025. The sculpture was spotted in the same off-shoulder dress that Princess Diana famously wore to a 1994 dinner at the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens.
Princess Diana And King Charles's Wedding And Divorce
To understand the story of the famous 'revenge dress', we must turn over the pages of history. In the early 1990s, rumours were rife about trouble in the marriage of the late Princess Diana and Prince Charles III, the eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and heir to the throne. He was coronated as the King on May 6, 2023, following the demise of Queen Elizabeth II on September 8, 2022.
In 1992, the cracks in the marriage were visible to everyone. Then-British Prime Minister John Major formally announced the separation of the couple, and their divorce was finalised in 1996. The New York Times reported, following an ITV documentary, that Prince Charles had admitted infidelity.
The documentary aired a year and a half after the couple separated, and it was reported that Prince Charles was loyal to Princess Diana "until it became irretrievably broken down." This confirmed his rumoured affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles, now Queen Consort of King Charles. They tied the knot on April 9, 2005.
"It is a deeply regrettable thing to happen, but it does happen, and unfortunately, in this case, it has happened," King Charles was quoted as saying.
Why Princess Diana's Black Dress Was Labelled A 'Revenge Dress'
"On a human level, for Diana, you can only imagine how upsetting that would have been, not only to hear that but to know that now the world has heard it. Effectively, Charles has aired some serious dirty laundry," explained PEOPLE Executive Editorial Director Michelle Tauber in PEOPLE's "Diana Diaries."
While some would have locked themselves in their home, Princess Diana chose a different path. She was scheduled to appear at the gala organised by Vanity Fair, and she decided not to skip it.
"Of course, Diana knew that all eyes were going to be on her," PEOPLE Deputy Style Director Brittany Talarico explained. Hence, she decided to make a statement with her fashion pick. She refused to comment on the fiasco that unravelled in her personal life, but her outfit spoke a 1000 words.
Reportedly, she was going to wear a Valentino dress at the event, but switched to this black body-hugging gown by designer Christina Stambolian. Interestingly, "Three years went by and she hadn't worn it. I was very disappointed," Stambolian recalled in Claudia Joseph's 2022 book Diana: A Life in Dresses, per HuffPost UK.
"She decided that she was going to fight back, and she decided that she would choose a dress that she had previously rejected as being a little too much. And she would put that on and go out on the town," said William Ivey Long, costume designer for the Broadway musical Diana.
Princess Diana Sold The Iconic 'Revenge Dress', And It Is Currently Valued At Over Rs 54 Crore
In 1997, Princess Diana sold 79 gowns in an auction, and this black 'revenge dress' was among them, according to Forbes. It was sold for $24,150 (approximately Rs 9.4 lakh) to a Scottish businessman, Graeme Mackenzie. All the dresses combined, Princess Diana raised $3 million (Rs 11.7 crore) for AIDS and cancer charities.
In 2023, this dress was again auctioned by Sotheby's in New York. Four bidders competed for the dress, and it was sold again for $604,800, which is approximately Rs 54.2 crore, as per the current USD to INR exchange rate.
Also Read | The Charles-Diana Wedding Story, An Affair, And A Revenge Dress That Changed Fashion