Princess Diana's 'revenge dress' goes up for auction
Princess Diana's iconic 'revenge dress' is set to be auctioned by Sotheby's in December, with estimates reaching up to £220,000. The dress gained historical significance after she wore it on the same night Prince Charles admitted to adultery in 1994.
Why it matters
The item is considered a major piece of pop-culture history, symbolizing a moment of personal empowerment and media scrutiny in the British royal family.
[Martin Keene/PA Wire] A dress worn by Princess Diana dubbed her "revenge dress" is being put up for auction.
The late Princess of Wales wore the strapless black silk evening dress to a party in London hours after her then-estranged husband Prince Charles admitted to committing adultery during their marriage.
Her dramatic arrival at the Serpentine Gallery in 1994 in the outfit became an iconic pop-culture moment.
Auction house Sotheby's expects the dress to sell for up to £220,000 ($300,000) when it goes under the hammer on 9 December - the first time it has been up for auction since 1997, when the princess sold 79 of her dresses just months before her death to raise money for charities.
Morgane Halimi, Sotheby's Global Head of Handbags and Fashion, said in a statement that Princess Diana "understood instinctively" that fashion can be a language in its own right.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in