Home » Entertainment » Prince Charles betrayed Lady Diana. And she made him ashamed with the dress of revenge

Prince Charles betrayed Lady Diana. And she made him ashamed with the dress of revenge

The years of separation and divorce represented for Lady Diana the stage of maturation, a watershed between the dreams (and illusions) of the naive English girl from a good family and the harsh reality of the princess sad and disappointed by love. It may seem paradoxical but for Lady Diana the humiliations suffered at court, especially when the marriage began to crack, they were a real school of life. Teachings that the princess had to learn despite herself, not without a good deal of suffering. There is, however, one event in particular, an evening 26 years ago, in which Lady Diana definitively abandoned the girl who had been to become a confident and glamorous woman. On June 29, 1994, when William and Harry’s mother wore the now historic “Revenge Dress”, “the dress of revenge” became a symbol of revenge.

That night Diana hit rock bottom and went back to a future that she hoped was blazing, showing that she had learned the difficult lessons imparted by life within the walls of Buckingham Palace well. If a writer wanted to convert the story of the Princess of Wales into a training novel, perhaps she would choose as the “instant of rebirth” just the night Lady Diana broke all the rules of the protocol, choosing a dress that no one would have ever thought of seeing them wearing . The princess was fed up with the indifference and betrayals of Prince Charles. She had paid him back for the same coin, tried to get his attention in every way, but there was nothing to be done. Marriage wasn’t working. The two were too different and in the heart of the heir to the throne there was only room for Camilla Parker Bowles.

A cumbersome figure for Diana, an enemy impossible to beat. Not even the birth of William and Harry had managed to give some oxygen to a wrecked union even before taking off. Camilla always present between Carlo and Diana even when he was physically absent. The situation worsened, the tabloid gossip did not give respite to the royal couple, so Prince Charles decided to put a point to the whole affair. He agreed for that June 29 an interview with Jonathan Dimbleby on public television and spoke with a proverbial British aplomb the words that would remain etched in the history of the royal family English. Dimbleby asked the heir to the throne if he had always been faithful to his wife. Carlo confessed: “Yes, until everything is hopelessly broken.” With this sentence the prince admitted his faults but, at the same time, indirectly pointed out that he was not solely responsible for the separation.

Lady Diana knew that June 29 would be the day of reckoning, when the problems of her marriage would become public knowledge. He had two possibilities ahead of him: closing himself within the walls of Kensington Palace, to cry over a new humiliation, or to gather the courage and react immediately, before the fear and the new gossip following the interview made her falter. The princess opted for the second, more difficult route, demonstrating to her admirers and detractors alike that she had not yet been defeated. But he needed to make his presence known.

By showing herself in public on the evening when her husband admitted the infidelities, Lady Diana wanted to give an unequivocal message to the royal family, taking revenge for the injuries suffered with elegance. The ex-stylist of Princess Anna Harvey said that Diana wanted to dazzle the public, to amaze him. The occasion had already been served on a silver platter. On June 29, 1994, in fact, a garden party was scheduled at the Serpentine Gallery in London, in Hyde Park. A fundraiser organized by Vanity Fair. A very important event for the English aristocracy and jet set and with guaranteed media coverage. However, the emblem of revenge was missing. According to the Telegraph la wales princess he had already planned to wear a fabulous dress from the Valentino house. The fashion house had even issued the press release relating to the event. The dress was perfect, in keeping with the evening, but perhaps it was not exactly what Lady Diana wanted.

I wonder if Carlo’s now ex-wife stopped to reflect on the importance of his image, on the imprint he had intended to give to his future from that evening onwards. Probably yes. It is possible that Lady Diana realized how much the look was fundamental to define the woman she would become. And acted accordingly. At the last minute the princess put aside Valentino’s dress and chose another, created by the Greek designer Christina Stambolian. The designer had made that dress three years before the London event. Lady Diana, however, had judged him “Too bold” for the role he played at court. Black sheath dress, tight, short above the knees, very little princely side slit, décolleté on display thanks to a deep “boat” neckline, bare arms, that dress broke all the rules of the royal protocol. Exactly what the princess needed.

The “Revenge Dress“He would have shouted to Prince Carlo:” Look what you missed “and to the royal family:” I don’t need to be a princess, I don’t care to be a real height, I just have to be myself, Diana Spencer “. The newspapers went wild. Kerry Taylor, owner of the auction house that sold some of Lady D.’s most iconic clothes in 2013 explained: “We called it” The Revenge Dress “. He wore it that same evening when Prince Charles confessed his adultery with Camilla. Diana had a public commitment to the Serpentine Gallery and while many might have thought ‘I can’t deal with this thing’, Diana showed up in that dress and she looked magnificent ”. The Huffington Post raised the dose: “It was the first time that people discovered the new Diana, the one who did not need the royal family, especially Prince Charles. In that minidress exuded confidence, an air of happiness and independence “.

The princess of Wales faced the evening as if nothing had happened, as if the world had not collapsed on her. The new Diana had finally blossomed, the chrysalis had become a splendid butterfly, a fashion icon. The photos of that evening still speak to us, after 26 years. Lady Diana shows a calm smile, the air raised, her shoulders straight, her body stretched forward, towards the audience, her right arm raised to greet the people who were waiting for her, but also a new life that began just that evening. The pearl necklace highlights the long neck, while the black clutch and the dizzying décolleté of the same color enhance the already perfect figure of Diana. With that dress the princess taught women all over the world to be free, sexy, not to fear the judgment of others and not to let themselves be overcome by the inevitable failures. Needless to throw yourself on the bed and cry submerged by paper tissues.

That change would accompany Diana until her last day. No more clothes to princess, just a sophisticated but functional, linear look. Of a glamorous simplicity (it seems a contradiction in terms, yet the princess managed to create this unique style). One of Lady Diana’s favorite stylists, David Sassoon, declared: “There has been a huge change from the shy girl I initially dressed and this glamorous woman” and added that the merit of the success achieved that night was not just the dress: “It is his smile, his confidence and his bare shoulders that make these photos so memorable. She is radiant, happy, she had lost the title of Her Royal Highness, but she had done decidedly well to leave ‘the company’ “ , then he said: “Diana made a black dress immortal that night and, wow, she really did it in the best way.”

It was with a newfound femininity and with the new determination born on that evening of June that in 1996 Lady Diana faced another historic interview, hers, with which in a certain sense she answered the confession of Prince Charles. He defined their marriage “crowded” in front of 22 million viewers and the journalist Martin Bashir. He would have paid the consequences. There Queen Elizabeth he imposed a divorce on his son and daughter-in-law. The Crown had already endured enough scandals. Her Majesty wrote a letter to Lady Diana in which, without words, she stated: “I consulted with the archbishop of Canterbury, with the prime minister and, of course, with Charles. We have decided that the best path for you is divorce. “

By now Diana was a loose cannon for Buckingham Palace. At court there was no place for two “queens”, for two stars who wanted and could shine with their own light. What did the princess think when she read the mother-in-law’s letter? We will never know. Perhaps Lady Diana noted one of the most pressing failures of her life, but she knew in her own way that she had won. She was free and stronger than ever, certain that nothing could stop her anymore.

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.