Remember Princess Diana’s revenge dress?

Written Leah Dolan, CNN

Digging through the archives of pop culture history “Remember when?” is a CNN Style series offering a nostalgic look at the celebrity outfits that defined their eras.

The summer of 1994 was uncharacteristically warm for the UK. Hot sunny days were followed by sultry nights, and by the end of June the pressure began to build up. The last week of the month was explosive in meteorological and cultural terms. On Friday, June 24, an exceptionally severe thunderstorm hit the south-east of the UK, spreading so much grass pollen that it caused a sudden and short-lived asthma epidemic. Two days later, after years of speculation, the British press broke the news that Prince Charles had accidentally revealed his infidelity to Princess Diana during an ITN documentary. (When asked if he remained faithful to his wife, the Prince of Wales nodded. “Yes, of course,” he said, before adding about his marriage, “before it collapsed irrevocably.”)

On Wednesday, June 29, the same day the program aired to 13 million viewers nationwide, Diana emerged from her emotional wreckage to attend the gala in such a glamorous gown, which has since become known simply as the “revenge dress.”

Princess Diana in a black Christina Stambolian dress at a party at the Serpentine Gallery in London, June 1994.

Princess Diana in a black Christina Stambolian dress at a party at the Serpentine Gallery in London, June 1994. Credit: Princess Diana Archive/Hulton Royals Collection/Getty Images

Featuring a black off the shoulder dress with a sweetheart neckline and a fitted, above-the-knee skirt, the cocktail dress designed by Christina Stambolian was unlike anything Diana or any other member of the royal family had ever worn in public. “Diana wanted to look like a million dollars,” former princess stylist Anna Harvey said in the 2013 Channel 4 documentary Princess Diana’s Dresses: Auction. “And she did.”

The next morning, photos of her incendiary outfit scattered across the front pages of British tabloids: “Revenge is gorgeous,” the Sun wrote. “Dee showed Charles last night what he was missing.”

Nearly thirty years later, the dress – and the moment it signifies – remains one of the most indelible pop culture moments in history. And, most likely, he will get a new audience thanks to the fifth season of the series. Netflix historical drama The Crown. broadcast November 9th. In an interview Entertainment Weekly, actress Elizabeth Debicki, who will take on the role of Diana from Emma Corrin, highlighted the Stambolian dress as key to understanding Diana’s character. “It triggered something in me as an actress,” she said. “I can not explain it. It’s incredible that a dress represents a moment in history or that this person’s life represents so much and becomes so iconic. So for me it was a big day on set!”
Elizabeth Debicki, pictured here, will play Princess Diana in the new season. "Crown," recreating the legendary moment on screen.

Elizabeth Debicki, pictured here, will play Princess Diana in the new season of The Crown, recreating the iconic moment on screen. Credit: Keith Bernstein/Netflix

After her casting was revealed, Debicki told EW that the sacred dress was one of the first questions on the lips of many. “I was struck by how fascinated people were by this dress,” she said. “When it became known that I had the role, I received these text messages of congratulations, (but) there were also a huge number of text messages about the revenge dress. “Can you wear a revenge dress?” “Oh my God, you can wear a revenge dress!”

Diana’s decision to wear a dress that evening was clearly impulsive. According to Princess Diana’s Dresses: Auction, the dress sat in her closet for three years before her fateful outing, fearing it was “too daring,” designer Stambolian said. Instead, The Telegraph reported that Diana was tried on a Valentino dress, but a premature press release sent out by the fashion house warning journalists about the ensemble put her off. But while it may have been a snap judgment, the revenge dress has created a legacy that will endure for almost three decades and continue to grow. It was a moment of sartorial autonomy: a rebellion against the royal dress code and the imposed notions of chastity and submission. Instead of submitting to public shame or contempt, Diana told the world that she would not go quietly.