Princess Diana’s ‘Divorce Wardrobe’ Is About To Be Star Of The Show On The Crown

Something to get excited about. When The Crown returns to Netflix next month, we'll finally get to see Elizabeth Debicki, who replaced Emma Corrin, step into the shoes of Princess Diana. Amid the 'fact or fiction' discussions that have been swirling - Dame Judi Dench called it 'crude sensationalism' in a letter to The Times - one thing is indisputable: Princess Diana's '90s looks were major. Of course, Gen Z 'discovered' Princess Diana for themselves when season four was released in 2020. They were hooked on the aristocratic soap opera, sure, but what they were really wowed by was the Diana 'look' – the oversized collars, the kitsch knits, the gloriously '80s dresses.

But while Diana’s early royal looks are indeed charming, it’s her post-divorce style that really gets me hot under the (frilly) collar. Having separated from Prince Charles, as he was, in 1992, before divorcing in 1996, she unveiled a new confidence, with clothes to match. Finally, it was about doing things her way. And it's this wardrobe that we'll get to see more of in season five, which picks up in the early Nineties.

Of course, Diana’s ultimate estrangement moment came at a 1994 fundraising event at the Serpentine Gallery, held on the same night that a television interview with Charles was broadcast in which he publicly admitted to adultery. But lots of people don’t remember that; what they remember is the ‘revenge dress’. Rather than hiding under the covers (even if that was exactly what she wanted to do) or even opting for something sweet that said ‘poor little me’, Diana chose a sexy LBD by the designer Christina Stambolian. Created for her three years earlier, it was reportedly rejected at the time for being ‘too daring’. But good things come to those who wait, and the revenge dress found its perfect moment to strike. It was a look that said: 'I’m in charge. Your loss. Thank you, next!' I guess the equivalent nowadays is posting a best-life thirst trap on Instagram.

That dress might be the most famous of her post-separation style moments, but it’s by no means the only revenge look (if you want to go deeper, I suggest you follow @ladydirevengelooks, stat). Other standouts include the succession of wiggle-worthy Versace dresses, the ‘I mean business’ skirt suits that spelled a new intent, the Catherine Walker cleavage-baring gown worn with slicked-back, wet-look hair at the CFDA Ball in New York in 1996 (there is also a red-hot cocktail dress by Walker worn that same year that is equally deserving of ‘revenge’ hero status). She was out to recast herself from victim to vixen.

One of Diana’s favourite accessories during this time was not just manicured two-fingers to Charles, but the whole of the firm. It was her boxy, quilted, top-handle Lady Dior bag (named in her honour, and still available to buy today) gifted to her by the first lady of France, Bernadette Chirac. British royals were supposed to carry British bags (if they did at all). Her carrying of a bag that wasn’t only French, but suitably spacious enough for the modern working woman, revealed she had said ‘au revoir’ to the formal fashion rules of the firm.

What the Insta-generation love from this time too are Diana’s gym looks. Departing the Chelsea Harbour Club, in sunglasses, cycling shorts, techy-trainers and slouchy sweaters she looked, quite literally, supremely fit. The temptation after a breakup can be to wallow, to ‘let yourself go’, to deny yourself essential self-care – but at least according to those pap shots, this wasn’t on the agenda for Diana.

And I happen to think the easiest divorce-Diana looks to pull off are her smart-casual ones. The high-waisted jeans and chinos, the white shirts, the bourgeois gold-buttoned blazers, the dashing-around-town Tod’s Gommino driving shoes (what better choice for the woman who is now in the driving seat?). By finely tuning a look that was poised, polished and paparazzi-ready at all times, but also easy, breezy, flirty, she reminded the world that although she had lost her HRH status, she was still the quintessential modern princess. Via the denim, the athletic get-ups, the va-va-voom dresses, the Dior, she was showing that she was free.

Still, none of this is to say the separation from Charles would have been easy for her. On the contrary, nobody did more to break down the barriers around mental health struggles than Diana did. She, like all of us, was not immune to being heartbroken. And while there is no perfect breakup playbook, I think there are lessons to be learned in Diana’s post-divorce style. Namely, that looking great and being happy (or at least appearing to be) is without doubt, always the best revenge. Sometimes you have to fake it to make it. Season five can’t come soon enough.