PRINCESS Diana’s famous “revenge dress” is going under the hammer, three decades after she wore it during one of the most talked-about nights of her life.
According to BBC news, the strapless black silk dress, designed by Greek designer Christina Stambolian, is expected to fetch up to £220,000 (about $300,000) when Sotheby’s auctions it on Dec. 9, 2026.
Diana wore the now-iconic dress to a 1994 Vanity Fair fundraising dinner at London’s Serpentine Gallery, just hours after a televised documentary in which her then-husband, Prince Charles, admitted to being unfaithful during their marriage.
Her appearance in the daring off-the-shoulder dress, paired with a royal necklace, black clutch and heels, quickly became a defining fashion moment.
Diana had reportedly planned to wear a Valentino gown but made a last-minute change, choosing the Stambolian dress instead. Her stylist Anna Harvey later said Diana wanted to “look a million dollars.”
The dress was later sold by Diana herself in 1997 as part of a charity auction featuring 79 of her dresses. The sale raised funds for causes including cancer and Aids charities. It was bought by Briege Mackenzie and her late husband, Graeme, for £39,098.
Thirty years later, Mackenzie is putting the dress back on the market following her husband’s death.
“Princess Diana was walking into the worst night of her life and you would never know it to look at her,” Mackenzie said in a statement released by Sotheby’s.
The dress will tour Sotheby’s showrooms in London, Hong Kong and Geneva before heading to New York for the December auction. Part of the proceeds will benefit the Royal Edinburgh Hospital through NHS Lothian Charity.
Also going under the hammer is a rare 1997 auction catalogue signed by Diana and Stambolian. The catalogue credits Diana’s son, Prince William, with the idea of selling the dresses for charity. / JAT S
