Princess Diana’s ‘revenge dress’ could fetch $300,000 at auction

Princess Diana’s famous ‘revenge dress’ is set to return to the auction block nearly three decades after it was last sold.

The black silk gown, designed by Greek designer Christina Stambolian, will be auctioned by Sotheby’s in New York on December 9, 2026. According to CNN, the dress is expected to fetch between $150,000 and $300,000.

Diana wore the off-the-shoulder, figure-hugging gown to a Vanity Fair gala at London’s Serpentine Gallery on June 29, 1994. Her appearance attracted huge attention because it came on the same evening that her then-husband, now King Charles III, acknowledged his infidelity in a televised documentary.

A defining fashion moment

The dress was a striking choice for a member of the British royal family at the time. Black was traditionally associated with mourning, but Diana wore the bold outfit with a pearl choker and scarlet nails, creating one of her most memorable public appearances.

The look has since been widely viewed as a statement of confidence and independence and helped cement Diana’s reputation as a fashion icon.

Before the New York auction, Sotheby’s will put the dress on public display in London from September 18 to 24. It will then travel to Hong Kong and Geneva as part of an international exhibition, CNN reported.

Last sold in 1997

The gown was last sold in June 1997, when Diana auctioned 79 of her dresses to raise funds for breast cancer and AIDS charities.

Part of the proceeds from the upcoming sale will be donated to NHS Lothian Charity on behalf of the Royal Edinburgh Hospital.

Auction officials have said the dress has endured beyond the circumstances surrounding its most famous appearance, becoming a lasting symbol of Princess Diana’s confidence, resilience and use of fashion as a powerful form of self-expression.