Princess Diana's 1994 revenge dress heads to Sotheby's auction in New York with a $300,000 estimate

Auction details and valuation

Princess Diana's black silk cocktail dress, known as the revenge dress, will go up for auction at Sotheby's in New York on 9 December 2026 during the auction house's Luxury Week sale. Sotheby's estimates the garment will fetch between $150,000 and $300,000, equivalent to approximately 129,000 to 259,000 euros or up to 220,000 pounds. Designed by Greek couturier Christina Stambolian in 1991, the piece features an off-the-shoulder bodice, a fitted silhouette, and an asymmetrical above-the-knee hemline. The sale marks the first time the dress has been offered publicly since June 1997, when Diana sold 79 dresses to raise funds for cancer and AIDS charities shortly before her death in Paris on 31 August 1997. Collector demand for Diana's wardrobe remains strong; in 2023, a ballerina-length evening gown worn by the princess in 1985 sold for $1.15 million, eleven times its presale estimate.

Global exhibition tour

Ahead of the live bidding in December, the dress will embark on an international exhibition tour across four cities in Europe, Asia, and North America. Public viewings will commence at Sotheby's auction rooms in London from 18 September to 24 September 2026. The travelling exhibition will subsequently open in Hong Kong from 1 October to 15 October, followed by Geneva from 6 November to 11 November. The tour will conclude in New York, where the public will be able to view the gown starting 2 December ahead of the auction.

The 1994 Serpentine Gallery appearance

Diana wore the dress on 29 June 1994 to a Vanity Fair fundraising dinner at London's Serpentine Gallery. The appearance took place on the same evening British television aired an interview in which her separated husband, Prince Charles (now King Charles III), admitted his infidelity during their marriage. Diana had owned the Stambolian design for three years but had hesitated to wear it because royal protocol discouraged all-black outfits outside official periods of royal mourning. According to author Georgina Howell, Diana had initially planned to wear another outfit before selecting the black dress, accessorising it with a sapphire and pearl choker, a Salvatore Ferragamo clutch, and Manolo Blahnik heels. Morgane Halimi, global head of handbags and fashion at Sotheby's, discussed the intent behind Diana's ensemble.

What became a global viral moment - long before social media made the term mundane - also gave licence to anyone, but especially women, to use fashion beyond adornment and much more intentionally and meaningfully: as a shield, a weapon or both.

Lot details and charitable proceeds

The auction lot also contains an original 1997 auction catalogue, numbered and signed by both Diana and Stambolian, which notes Prince Charles as the originator of the charity auction concept. A portion of the proceeds from the December sale will be donated to the NHS Lothian Charity to support equipment, specialised care, and projects at the Royal Edinburgh Hospital, a psychiatric facility in Scotland. The consignor, who purchased the dress during the 1997 charity sale alongside their late spouse, decided to offer the garment three decades after its original public debut.