Princess Diana's 'revenge dress' backstory revisited ahead of world tour

In late June 1994, when then-Prince Charles made it public that his marriage had broken down, his wife, Princess Diana, probably had other ideas.

In short, in a black silk dress, she stunned everyone at a fundraising dinner at London's Serpentine Gallery.

Designed by Christina Stambolian, the outfit is nicknamed the 'revenge dress'.

Her striking appearance came against what was traditionally expected of her because, as a royal family member, she is said to dress conservatively.

However, the late princess apparently tore up the script.

In a black low-cut dress with a short hemline and bare legs, her look became what reports at the time called a powerful, silent message.

Her designer, Stambolian, previously offered insight into Diana's thinking about the dress.

In her view, the princess had two options.

By bringing in characters from Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's classic ballet Swan Lake, Stambolian said the first one was Odette.

“[The princess] chose not to play the scene like Odette, innocent in white,” she shared.

“She was clearly angry," the designer stated.

Instead, Diana opted for Odile.

"She played it like Odile, in black. She wore bright red nail enamel, which we had never seen her do before. She was saying, ‘Let’s be wicked tonight!’”

That said, Diana's 'revenge dress' has now been put up for auction before being exhibited in London, Hong Kong, and Geneva.

According to The Independent, the dress is expected to sell for $150,000–$300,000.