Princess Diana’s iconic “revenge dress“—the slinky black Christina Stambolian silk minidress she wore to a Vanity Fair party at London’s Serpentine Gallery in June 1994—is heading back to the auction block for the second time. Sotheby’s in New York has scheduled the standalone fashion evening auction for December 9, with pre-sale estimates landing between $150,000 and $300,000, according to the auction house’s site.
Princess Diana’s Iconic Black Minidress Heads to Sotheby’s
The garment is widely regarded as the most famous little black dress in royal history, transcending fashion to become a definitive pop culture moment. Featuring an off-the-shoulder sweetheart neckline, a body-hugging draped skirt, and a mini train, the look was punctuated by red nail polish, black tights, a pearl necklace, and a pearl-and-sapphire choker crafted from a brooch gifted by the Queen Mother as a wedding present. Diana also wore Collingwood pearl-drop earrings given to her as an engagement present, alongside a diamond-and-sapphire bracelet matching her engagement ring.
The Timing of the Serpentine Gallery Appearance
The outfit earned its infamous moniker because Diana wore it on the exact same day that her estranged husband, then-Prince Charles, admitted to his infidelity with Camilla Parker Bowles during a nationally televised documentary. Diana and Charles had been separated since December 1992.
Former Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter recalled the evening at the Serpentine, one of London’s most celebrated art galleries. “It was one of the first Serpentine dinners we did together. None of us had any idea that Charles was going public about the problems in their marriage,” Carter told Page Six Style. “So, when Diana arrived, we thought she just looked incredibly beautiful. We only discovered that she was wearing a ‘revenge dress’ when we read the papers the next day.”
A Custom Design Kept Waiting for Three Years
While royals typically reserve black for mourning and Diana rarely wore the color or cocktail styles hitting above the knee, she had actually commissioned the custom look three years prior. Her former stylist Anna Harvey later noted that Diana had previously considered the design “too daring” for a public appearance, but ultimately wanted to “look a million dollars” on an evening when global attention was focused on her private life.
Prior Sales and Continuing Charitable Legacy
The dress was previously sold at auction in July 1997 for £39,098—nearly $53,000 at the time—when Diana personally put 79 of her dresses up for auction to benefit cancer and AIDS charities. It was acquired by private owners and remained in their possession for nearly three decades.
Sotheby’s upcoming December sale will continue that philanthropic footprint. Part of the proceeds from the auction will benefit NHS Lothian Charity on behalf of the Royal Hospital of Edinburgh.
