Princess Diana’s iconic ‘revenge dress’ to be auctioned with estimate of up to US$300,000

Princess Diana’s black silk Christina Stambolian midi-length dress, widely known as the “revenge dress,” will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in December. The dress is being offered for the first time in nearly three decades, with a presale estimate of up to US$300,000.

Diana wore the dress to a Vanity Fair party in London in 1994, pairing it with a sapphire necklace, black pumps and sheer tights. Earlier that day, her husband at the time, then-Prince Charles, addressed his infidelity in a televised interview. Diana did not wear the dress again and died on Aug. 31, 1997, at age 36.

The outfit became one of Diana’s most photographed and frequently replicated looks. A life-size waxwork of Diana wearing the dress was unveiled at a Paris museum in 2025. Bidding in New York is set to begin Dec. 9; the source estimated the top US$300,000 valuation at about C$419,700 using the day’s conversion rate.