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Met Gala 2024: How Princess Diana Broke British Royal Family's Dry Spell At Fashion's Biggest Event
The late royalty, known for leading the ‘90s fashion conversation, stunned in a midnight-blue slip dress with lace negligée trim, designed by then creative director of Dior, John Galliano.
Princess Diana’s Met Gala debut in 1996 was iconic in more ways than one. With the 2024 Met Gala just hours away, it is worth reminiscing about the exceptional high-fashion dress Princess Diana pulled off nearly three decades ago. The debut appearance transformed her from being a beloved member of the British Royal family to an international celebrity, also becoming the first British royal to set foot at the fashion Oscars.
The late royalty, known for leading the ‘90s fashion conversation, stunned in a midnight-blue slip dress with lace negligée trim, designed by then creative director of Dior, John Galliano. Apart from being the boldest dress Princess Di or any other royalty for that matter had ever worn, it was also a celebration of her newly attained freedom as a single woman following her divorce from now King Charles in August 1996.
Princess Diana’s 1996 Met Gala debut: A historic moment
The Princess of Wales made a spell-binding entrance in an inky silk lingerie-inspired dress at her sole Met Gala appearance in December 1996. The intricate detailing of the lace trim and the matching inky robe completed her iconic look. She adorned herself with a sparkly pearl and sapphire necklace and jewelry and carried a Lady Dior purse, which her good friend Christian Dior named in honor of her. 
It is only fair to say that the media, infamous for rattling her life, was swayed by her beauty. Di had wanted British designer John Galliano to “make her a special version of a midnight-blue dress for his first collection for the maison,” per Vogue.
The 1996 Met Gala theme honored legendary fashion designer, Christian Dior and his work. Galliano was then leading the label and it was only fair to serve his Princess with his best item. It was the first time a British Royal was set to make a Met Gala appearance, and it had to be the gorgeous Princess Diana.
Princess Diana had reservations about her Met Gala dress
While it was a treat to global fashion and a symbol of Di’s flamboyance, the Princess of Wales was worried about the impact on his elder son, Prince William, then 14. She was wary about him getting embarrassed, mostly due to the bold lingerie-like detailing, amid all the drama of Di and King Charles’ divorce months earlier, as royal author Katie Nicholl states in her 2010 book, William and Harry.
However, attending the Met Gala came as a perfect opportunity, when to celebrate her late friend Dior’s creative vision and show support for the event's chairperson and British Vogue editor-in-chief, Liz Tilberis, who was also a “powerful ally” for Di during her split with Charles, per Marie Claire. But above all, the Princess found it as the right opportunity to propel herself to supreme stardom and finally give the paparazzi something to watch, her glam!
Princess Diana was successful in her resolve, to speak through her dresses. As author, Eloise Moran puts it, in “one of her most shocking dresses”, the late royalty gave the world a glimpse of the freedom she was longing for and it ended up becoming one of the most iconic looks in the history of Met Gala.
ALSO READ: Was Princess Diana Aware of Charles Spencer’s School Abuse? The Historian Reveals
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