Of all of Princess Diana’s memorable fashion moments, the late royal’s ‘revenge dress’ may have had the biggest impact on pop culture.
It’s no surprise that Lady Amelia and Lady Eliza Spencer decided to pay tribute to one of their aunt’s most famous looks at last night’s Fashion Awards.
The twin sisters, 32, who spent their childhood in South Africa before moving to London in 2021, opted to coordinate outfits for the annual event at the Royal Albert Hall.
Lady Amelia, who married her long-term boyfriend Greg Mallett last year, cut an elegant figure in a long black dress with sequin embellishment.
Like Diana’s ‘revenge dress’, the low-cut neckline of Amelia’s dress had a dip in the middle.
Meanwhile, Lady Eliza’s dress also had a nod to Diana with its off-the-shoulder design, which echoed the late Princess of Wales’s Christina Stambolian dress.
Lady Amelia Spencer (left) and Lady Eliza Spencer (right) reprized their aunt’s famous ‘revenge dress’ at the Fashion Awards last night
For the gala at the Serpentine Gallery in 1994, Diana wore her sapphire and eight-strand pearl choker necklace, originally a brooch given to her by the Queen Mother.
That’s why the Spencer twins opted for equally statement jewelry last night – with both sisters modeling matching diamond necklaces, bracelets and earrings on the red carpet.
While Lady Amelia’s dainty necklace consisted of several clusters of diamonds, Lady Eliza’s had a more architectural design, making the diamonds appear as if they were floating.
In 2021, the sisters revealed that they “wished they had spent more time with their aunt,” who tragically died when they were just five years old.
Speak with Hello! magazineLady Eliza explained: ‘Unfortunately we were very young when she passed away.
‘Of course I would have liked to spend more time with her. I do have special memories of her. I can’t explain why, but they have stuck in my memory very clearly.’
Christina Stambolian’s design, which Lady Eliza and Lady Amelia emulated last night, was dubbed Princess Diana’s ‘revenge dress’ in 1992 – because the royal family wore it in public that same evening. King Charles publicly admitted to being unfaithful in their marriage.
On June 29, 1992, the BBC documentary Prince Charles: The King’s Private Man, the Public Role was broadcast to the public in an attempt to restore his reputation after his divorce.
Princess Diana wore the iconic black number now known as the revenge dress, designed by Christina Stambolian, at the Serpentine Gallery on June 29, 1994
Like Diana’s ‘revenge dress’, the low-cut neckline of Amelia’s dress (left) had a dip in the center
Lady Eliza’s dress (right) also had a nod to Diana with its off-the-shoulder design, which echoed the late Princess of Wales’s Christina Stambolian dress
During the infamous interview, the monarch admitted to journalist Jonathan Dimbleby that he had been unfaithful in his marriage – but only after it had been ‘broken beyond repair’.
In a 1997 Vogue article, Anna Harvey, a close friend of Princess Diana, revealed that she initially feared the black mini dress was “too daring” and planned to wear a Valentino design to the event.
But after hearing about her ex-husband’s documentary, the insider claimed Diana wanted to “look like a million bucks” for that difficult evening – and opted for a color the royals usually reserve for mourning.
Former Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown even described it in her 2007 book The Diana Chronicles as her “f***-you dress,” and the newspapers at the time agreed. The Mail reported at the time: ‘Charles roars while Diana dazzles’.
The princess had bought the dress for £900 from Stambolian’s shop after having lunch with her brother Charles Spencer at her favorite restaurant, the now closed San Lorenzo, before walking across Beauchamp Place in Knightsbridge and into Stambolian’s shop.
Christina Stambolian recalled that Princess Diana asked for a “special dress for a special occasion” at her store in 1991, according to Claudia Joseph’s book, Diana: A Life in Dresses.
Stambolian previously recalled that Diana was initially unsure about the revealing design – and wanted it in cream rather than black.
The revenge dress features an asymmetrical hem and a flattering sheer tail that dangles from the fitted waist
The sketch of Princess Diana’s revenge dress by Christina Stambolian from the book Diana: A Life in Dresses by Claudia Joseph
At the time, her estranged husband Charles was televised across the country and interviewed about his infidelity with Camilla Parker-Bowles.
Prince Charles, confessed to being unfaithful to Diana in an interview with Jonathan Dimbleby (left) on June 29, 1994
She said, “We sat down and I made some sketches on a piece of paper.”
‘The dress was revealing, quite short and showed quite a bit of leg and flesh. Diana wasn’t sure. She thought it was a bit risky. She wanted everything more covered, longer and the neck higher.
‘I told her she had good legs and that she should show them. “Why don’t you dare?” I said. She asked her brother [Charles] and he said, “Do what you think is right.” Finally she said yes to the style and we moved on to the color.
‘I had black in mind, but she wanted cream. To me, Diana was a black and white person. I didn’t like her in the light pink and blue tones with lots of beads.’
It took two seamstresses more than 60 hours to make the outfit. Stambolian said she was “delighted to see Diana wearing it that night of all nights.”