The black dress worn by Diana, Princess of Wales, to the Serpentine Gallery in June 1994, is scheduled for auction at Sotheby's New York in December. This marks the first time the garment has been available for purchase in nearly 30 years.

The dress, designed by Christina Stambolian, gained significant public attention due to its timing. It was worn shortly after Prince Charles admitted to adultery on ITV. The form-fitting, off-the-shoulder black gown was widely interpreted as a direct response to Charles's confession, symbolizing elegance as a form of revenge.

Diana wore the dress only once. She later sold it in 1997 at a charity auction of 79 dresses, with proceeds benefiting cancer and AIDS charities. The current owner has held onto the dress since that sale.

Ahead of the sale, the dress will tour globally, with stops in London, Hong Kong and Geneva, before returning to New York for public exhibition and the December auction

Sotheby's estimates the dress will sell for between $150,000 and $300,000. However, given the past performance of Diana's attire at auction, experts suggest the final price could significantly exceed this estimate, potentially reaching or surpassing $1 million.

Previous sales of Diana's clothing have demonstrated a strong market. In January 2023, a velvet Victor Edelstein gown sold for $604,800, five times its estimate. More recently, in September 2023, a sheep-patterned jumper worn by a young Lady Diana fetched $1.1 million, far exceeding its $50,000-$80,000 estimate.

While Sotheby’s estimates the dress will fetch $150,000 (£110,00) - $300,000 (£221,000), the final sale figure is likely to be considerably more and could comfortably reach a million dollars - or even surpass it

Proceeds from the Sotheby's sale will include a charitable component, benefiting NHS Lothian Charity on behalf of the Royal Hospital of Edinburgh. This follows Diana's legacy of supporting cancer and AIDS charities.

Diana only wore the dress once, before selling it at a 1997 charity auction of 79 dresses to benefit cancer and AIDS charities. It has remained in the hands of its current owner ever since

Before the auction, the dress will embark on a global tour, with planned stops in London, Hong Kong, and Geneva. It will then return to New York for public exhibition leading up to the sale.

Diana's stylist, Anna Harvey, recalled that Diana had owned the dress for three years before deciding to wear it, considering it too daring for public appearance until then. Harvey noted that Diana had wanted to