Princess Diana’s legendary style is well-known, but a new revelation from royal author Tina Brown unveils a hidden layer of her wardrobe. According to Brown’s 2022 book, “The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor – the Truth and the Turmoil,” Diana had a collection of “revenge dresses,” with each piece serving a calculated purpose.
One of the most infamous moments was Diana’s attendance at the Live Aid concert with Prince Charles in a blue polka dot dress designed by her rival, Camilla Parker Bowles. The dress was designed by Dala “Kanga” Tryon, who was in love with Prince Charles. Brown’s book revealed that Dala Tryon and Charles had a close relationship after meeting in high school when they were both 17.
As Dala Tryon moved to London and married Lord Tryon, her directness, warmth, and talent for country entertaining reminded Charles of qualities he admired in Camilla. This closeness between Charles and Dala fueled Camilla’s jealousy, and the book claims that Charles once expressed that Dala was “the only woman who ever understood me.”
In response to Camilla’s growing fury, Princess Diana employed her “revenge dresses” strategy. Tina Brown noted that Diana wore a “deeply off-brand, multi-patterned dress” specifically to agitate Camilla.
Camilla Parker Bowles was reportedly seething with rage over the apparent friendship between Dala Tryon and Princess Diana. In an interview with Brown, she allegedly stated, “All this stuff about Lady Tryon being such a friend of Lady Diana… She’s never even met Diana Spencer.”
Princess Diana’s fashion choices often made headlines for their elegance and grace, but it appears that some of her iconic outfits were also carefully chosen to wield a subtle form of retaliation in the complicated world of royal relationships.
