Princess Diana ‘revenge dress’: why was it called that, when did Lady Diana wear it and is it in The Crown?

Princess Diana has long been described as a fashion icon, as shown in the recent Kristen Stewart film about her last Christmas as part of the royal family, Spencer.

Now, Channel 4 will take a look back at her style through the years in ‘Diana: Queen of Style’.

From her stunning 25ft long wedding dress to her iconic ‘revenge dress’, her clothes were as well documented as her relationship.

So, why was her dress called a ‘revenge dress’ - and what happened the night she wore it? This is what you need to know.

Why was Diana’s black dress called her ‘revenge dress’?

The timing of Diana’s little black dress moment could not have been timed better.

In June 1994, Princess Diana wore the knee-length, off the shoulder gown to a party hosted by Vanity Fair.

The silk number, which the ‘people’s princess’ paired with teardrop pearl earrings, a black clutch and black sheer tights, broke with royal protocol but she turned heads for all the right reasons.

While she did wear it during her separation from Charles, this is not the only reason it was described as her ‘revenge dress’.

The evening made headlines for another royal reason, as it was the same evening her estranged husband, Prince Charles, gave an exposing interview.

What did Charles say about his marriage to Diana?

Prince Charles attempted to garner national support and sympathy by taking part in a tell-all documentary which premiered the same night Diana wore the dress.

The couple had split in 1991 and speculation has circulated that he had been having an affair with Camilla throughout his relationship with Diana.

The interviewer asked Charles if he had been “faithful and honourable” to Diana during their marriage, to which the heir answered “Yes”.

Prince Charles then revealed: “Until it became irretrievably broken down, us both having tried.”

The documentary then garnered more support and sympathy for Diana, as the public could see that she had been cheated on while raising their two young sons.

What has been said about Princess Diana’s ‘revenge dress’?

Those close to Diana have offered more insight into Diana’s intentions the evening she wore the dress.

“We call it the “revenge dress” [because] she wore it the same evening Prince Charles confessed to his adultery with Camilla,” said Kerry Taylor, who auctioned a number of Diana’s dresses in 2013.

“While some would have been like, ‘I can’t face it this evening,’ Diana went out in that dress looking drop-dead gorgeous. She made a big statement,” Taylor added.

Christina Stambolian, who designed the dress, also revealed the dress was originally meant to be worn three years earlier, the year she split from Charles.

Stambolian revealed the princess chose not to wear it in 1991, as she thought it was “too daring.”

Diana’s former stylist, Anna Harvey, also told how Diana was originally meant to wear a different gown to the Vanity Fair event, but made a last minute swap as she wanted to “look a million dollars”.

The dress is also worn by Kristen Stewart in ‘Spencer’.

Are Diana’s dresses on display in an exhibition?

Some of Diana’s dresses, including her wedding dress, are currently on exhibition at Kensington Palace.

‘Designing for Royalty’ tickets are still available and the exhibition is on display until 2 January 2022.