Gerard Way dressed as Princess Diana, what’s so special?
The story of Princess Diana’s revenge dress is still being told today, whether through Netflix’s The Crown or the Broadway musical Diana. It’s only natural to wonder, “What’s the real story of Princess Diana’s revenge?” given the inherent mix of fact and fiction in these royal productions.
If you’ve watched Diana, the Musical on Netflix (and if you haven’t, don’t worry, this is a minor spoiler), you know that the princess’s revenge dress was featured as a spur-of-the-moment purchase.
Meanwhile, viewers of The Crown Season 4 caught a glimpse of Lady Di in an all-black ensemble, a nod to the famous dress itself. But how accurate are these depictions of real-life events? What follows is the definitive account of the events surrounding the infamous “revenge dress” worn by Princess Diana.
What is the real story about Princess Diana’s revenge dress?
For those unfamiliar with the unofficial title, the Revenge Dress was the ultimate LBD designed by Kristina Stambolian and worn by the princess at the Vanity Fair fundraising gala.
It was the same night that news of Prince Charles’ affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles broke, and Diana won the hearts of the public by looking hot and pouty as the press snapped pictures of her and everyone said, “Why the hell would he cheat on her?!”
Princess Diana was supposed to wear a different dress tonight, but since her outfit was leaked to the press, she decided to go with the Istanbul selection. At least that’s the story we’ve been told.
Maybe she changed her outfit because she knew the LBD would be the perfect dress to show the world that she’s fine (thriving, actually!) despite the news. That was the original “I’m fine Love have fun” flex!
Diana, The Musical Revenge Dress Story
“The Efti Dress” is what Diana the Musical renamed the dress Princess Diana wore in her moment of revenge. The name honestly fits quite well! After Charles’ televised confession of his affair with Camilla, a member of staff convinces Lady Di to attend the gala and she makes a last-minute decision to wear the dress.
Princess Diana’s black sheepskin sweater from the 80s is back – here’s how to get it https://t.co/QZEk0p2M5D
— TODAY (@TODAYshow) November 24, 2020
And by the time Diana found herself at the gala after Charles’ reception, she had already planned to go there before he told her. Diana’s costume designer from the Broadway musical William Ivey Long told People that Diana wore a “revenge dress” to get even with Charles.
He elaborated that she decided to “fight back” by wearing a dress she had previously dismissed as “a bit too much”. And she would wear it to go to town.
What is the story behind Princess Diana’s Revenge Dress?
While we have to wait until Season 5 of The Crown to see Princess Diana in her iconic Revenge dress, we got a hint of it in Season 4 when Emma Corrin’s Diana wore another black dress.
Whether you think Corinne looks like Princess Diana or not, you’ll have to admit that she did an excellent job bringing the show’s beloved royal to life. She was on point with her portrayal of Diana throughout the season, perfectly capturing the voice, mannerisms and expressions of the late princess to show how much the young princess matured as her world changed at breakneck speed.
Amy Roberts, the show’s costume designer, crafted the outfits just as she performed Corinne’s performance. At the start of the season, Diana wears childish vests and shades of pale yellow, by the end of the season she is seen in black, having reached the height of her struggles as she dealt with bulimia and was devastated by Charles and Camilla’s affair.
Princess Diana wears a black dress with a plunging neckline and suit-style lapels as she sulks in a family portrait. However, her hair is a little too tame, leaving us to wonder if Corinne was channeling Marilyn more than Diana.
In a recent interview with Bustle, Roberts explained that the reason Diana wore a black dress in the season four finale was to foreshadow the arrival of the infamous “revenge dress” in season five.
Roberts argues that the attention-grabbing quality of a dress isn’t limited to its sultry shape. Roberts says in an interview with Bustle that her decision to wear all black is also symbolic. According to her, wearing all black was an act of “absolute defiance” because “[ the royal family] doesn’t like you wearing black” (Charles never liked Diana wearing black).
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