30 Years Later, Princess Diana’s Revenge Dress Is on Bid for a New Owner in Decades
Jul. 07, 1983 – Diana s Old Party Dress: This Winter The Princess Of Wales Has Shocked The Fashion World By Wearing Last Season s Evening Dresses On Public Engagements. Photo shows The Princess Of Wales At A Gala Evening In London s Royal Festival ~~~~~ Wearing Dark Blue Velvet Evening Dress With A ~~~ Neckline Tri~ Of Old Lace. The Princess First Wore This Dress ~~~ She Has Dinner With Prime Minister Margaret ~~~~~ ~~ Downing Street Last Last February She Was Four Months Pregnant At This Timed. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxONLY – ZUMAk09 JUL 07 1983 Diana S Old Party Dress This Winter The Princess of Wales has Shocked The Fashion World by Wearing Load Season S evening Dresses ON Public Commitment Photo Shows The Princess of Wales AT a Gala evening in London S Royal Festival Wearing Dark Blue Velvet evening Dress With a neckline of Old Lace The Princess First This Dress She has Dinner With Prime Ministers Margaret Downing Street Load Load February She what Four MONTHS Pregnant AT This timed PUBLICATIONxINxGERxONLY ZUMAk09
Jul. 07, 1983 – Diana s Old Party Dress: This Winter The Princess Of Wales Has Shocked The Fashion World By Wearing Last Season s Evening Dresses On Public Engagements. Photo shows The Princess Of Wales At A Gala Evening In London s Royal Festival ~~~~~ Wearing Dark Blue Velvet Evening Dress With A ~~~ Neckline Tri~ Of Old Lace. The Princess First Wore This Dress ~~~ She Has Dinner With Prime Minister Margaret ~~~~~ ~~ Downing Street Last Last February She Was Four Months Pregnant At This Timed. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxONLY – ZUMAk09 JUL 07 1983 Diana S Old Party Dress This Winter The Princess of Wales has Shocked The Fashion World by Wearing Load Season S evening Dresses ON Public Commitment Photo Shows The Princess of Wales AT a Gala evening in London S Royal Festival Wearing Dark Blue Velvet evening Dress With a neckline of Old Lace The Princess First This Dress She has Dinner With Prime Ministers Margaret Downing Street Load Load February She what Four MONTHS Pregnant AT This timed PUBLICATIONxINxGERxONLY ZUMAk09
Princess Diana had plenty of memorable entrances, but the Revenge Dress arrived dressed to outshine every one of them. The People’s Princess wore the daring black ensemble to a Vanity Fair fundraising dinner at London’s Serpentine Gallery on June 29, 1994, after ditching a conservative Valentino dress when details of Prince Charles’s interview emerged. Three decades later, that legendary wardrobe coup is having another moment as it returns to auction.
Princess Diana’s style legacy has hardly dimmed, so the prospect of owning the Revenge Dress should leave collectors positively itching for the bidding to begin.
Princess Diana’s famous revenge dress is up for auction
As per its press release statement, Sotheby’s is giving Princess Diana’s Revenge Dress the sort of farewell tour usually reserved for rock stars, with the gown headlining a standalone live fashion evening auction on December 9, 2026. The sale will unfold at the Breuer Building in New York City during Luxury Week, putting one of fashion’s most famous dresses center stage.
The gown will not be arriving alone, either. Alongside the Christina Stambolian creation is a rare numbered copy of the original 1997 Christie’s auction catalogue, signed by both Princess Diana and Christina Stambolian. Even more charmingly, the inscription credits 15-year-old Prince William with the original idea of selling the wardrobe.
Aug. 16, 2005 – 008792.2-1-1990.IPSWICH.A5710.PRINCESS DIANA . – 1990 – ZUMAg49_ 20050816_gaf_a100_616 Copyright: xAlphax
Aug. 16, 2005 – 008792.2-1-1990.IPSWICH.A5710.PRINCESS DIANA . – 1990 – ZUMAg49_ 20050816_gaf_a100_616 Copyright: xAlphax
The current owner, Briege Mackenzie, and her late husband, Grahame Mackenzie, acquired the iconic gown in 1997 after its original auction. The Scottish couple, who were franchisees of The Body Shop, subsequently kept the celebrated piece safely preserved for decades. Now, after 30 years, the legendary dress is preparing for another turn under the auction spotlight, thanks to Sotheby's.
With images of Princess Diana’s funeral still etched into the public memory and her legacy keeping her spirit alive, Sotheby’s is making sure the Revenge Dress gets plenty of attention ahead of its auction.
Princess Diana's revenge dress's pre-auction spotlight
Before the bidding begins, Princess Diana’s Revenge Dress is getting its own little world tour. The pre-sale exhibition gives the public and prospective bidders a rare chance to see the Christina Stambolian creation up close, beginning at Sotheby’s London on September 18, 2026, during London Fashion Week. From there, the gown heads to Hong Kong and Geneva before reaching New York.
May 21, 2015 – Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America – Washington, DC. !0-4-1990.Princess Diana arrives at the United States Department of Commerce buidling in Washington DC. to attend a benefit fund raiser for the London City Ballet. .Credit: Washington United States of America – ZUMAr142
May 21, 2015 – Washington, District of Columbia, United States of America – Washington, DC. !0-4-1990.Princess Diana arrives at the United States Department of Commerce buidling in Washington DC. to attend a benefit fund raiser for the London City Ballet. .Credit: Washington United States of America – ZUMAr142
Each stop offers another fleeting opportunity to admire a dress that has spent decades safely away from public view. After Hong Kong brings the gown to Sotheby’s Asian headquarters, Geneva provides its next European appearance, before Manhattan gets the final preview. Then, after all that traveling, the iconic dress finally arrives at auction.
Would you love to get your hands on Princess Diana's iconic revenge dress? Let us know in the comments!
Edited By: Hriddhi Maitra
