Princess Diana’s iconic revenge dress to go up for auction in December

Princess Diana's iconic black, off-shoulder dress, will be auctioned for the first time since her death in 1997

Staff members setting up a new wax figure of the late Princess Diana wearing her iconic "revenge dress" at the Grévin Wax Museum in Paris

Updated on:

10 Sep 2026, 2:37 pm

2 min read

Everyone remembers Princess Diana's iconic black off-shoulder silk dress, famously called the "revenge dress". The late princess wore the dress to a 1994 fundraising event held at the Serpentine Gallery in London. More than three decades later, the dress is up for auction for the first time since 1997.

Princess Diana's black "revenge dress" will be up for auction at Sotheby's in December

Back in 1994, Prince Charles acknowledged that he was unfaithful during his marriage to Princess Diana on national television. On that very evening, Diana wore her iconic "revenge dress" to a fundraising dinner in London.

Black, short, and off the shoulder, Princess Diana's eveningwear caused jaws to drop back in 1994 when she arrived at London’s Serpentine Gallery.

Register to bid >> https://t.co/xKBgLKMxHl

As she stepped out of her car and into a sea of camera flashes, the Princess of Wales… pic.twitter.com/uhBsDJW80G
— Sotheby's (@Sothebys) September 10, 2026

Princess Diana tragically passed away in 1997 and now, that legendary dress is going to be auctioned for the first time since her passing. The auction will take place on December 9, 2026 in New York as part of Sotheby's luxury week.

The dress that made the world look

The black strapless dress was designed by Greek designer Christina Stambolian and is estimated to be sold for an amount ranging from $150,000 to $300,000. Before it goes under the hammer, the dress will be on tour from September 18 when it will travel from London to Hong Kong and Geneva before finally going to New York.

The iconic "revenge dress"

Shortly before her death, Princess Diana had already sold the dress in June 1997 to be sold at an auction aimed to raise funds for cancer and AIDS charities. It has been in a private collection since, with the owner of the name unknown. For the upcoming auction, the proceeds will reportedly be donated on behalf of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital to the NHS Lothian Charity.

The current anonymous owner said in a statement, "My late husband and I knew that this dress was something special. Princess Diana was walking into the worst night of her life, but you would never know it to look at her. It went from a cocktail dress to a statement in the time it took to photograph her."

Registration to bid for the "revenge dress" is currently on.

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