Princess Diana’s strapless black silk evening dress, widely known as her “revenge dress”, will go on public display in London, Hong Kong, Geneva and New York before being auctioned at Sotheby’s Breuer Building in New York on 9 December.
Sotheby’s has put an estimate of £110,000 to £220,000 ($150,000 to $300,000) on the dress. Part of the proceeds will go to the Royal Edinburgh Hospital through NHS Lothian Charity.
Diana wore the black silk dress to a party in London hours after Prince Charles admitted to committing adultery. Her arrival at the Serpentine Gallery in 1994 became an enduring pop-culture image, and the outfit came to symbolise her independence during a difficult period in her marriage.
The garment will be shown first at Sotheby’s London showroom from 18 to 24 September. It will then travel to Hong Kong, where it will be displayed from 1-15 October, followed by Geneva from 6-11 November. The final exhibition will take place in New York from 2-8 December, ahead of the sale.
The December auction will be the first time the dress has been offered since 1997. That year, Diana sold 79 dresses months before her death to raise money for charities, including AIDS charities.
Briege Mackenzie and her husband Graeme bought the dress in that 1997 auction for £39,098. It has since been held by a Scottish businessman and collector, who has owned it since June 1997. The reason for the decision to sell after 29 years has not been disclosed.
A rare copy of the 1997 auction catalogue, signed by Diana and Stambolian, will also be offered alongside the dress. The catalogue credits Prince William with the idea of auctioning the garment.
The sale follows strong demand for items associated with Diana. In September 2023, her sheep jumper prompted a 44-bid contest and sold for $1.1m. Whether the dress will reach Sotheby’s estimate, and who will bid for it, remain unknown.
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