By Hannah Gebhardt
The People’s Princess. This is how the world still remembers Diana Spencer, even 27 years after her tragic death in Paris, France. Countless articles, TV shows, interviews, and even exhibits in her honor make up the mystique surrounding the late Princess’ life and marriage to the then Prince and now King Charles. There is no denying her striking influence over headlines, and on this anniversary of her death we pay tribute as we look back at the iconic style and sensibility of the Princess of Wales.
As with most people, the Princess’ style developed alongside her personality as she went from the shy fiancee of Prince Charles to the most photographed woman in the world. Diana did not partake in many interviews (until her groundbreaking expose with BBC) and was rather soft spoken. In fact, much of what people knew about her came from photographs. Yet, the world felt a connection to the Princess on a personal level – which can be attributed in large part to her style and appearance.
As she traveled, Diana developed a particular knack for tailoring her appearance in respect to the country or people she was visiting. For example, in her 1985 trip to Italy, the Princess donned a striped button dress with a white Kangol hat as she visited a naval base. In honor of the country and their flag, the Princess wore a white dress with red polka dots on a visit to Japan in 1986. And on her visit to Thailand in 1988, Diana wore a red evening gown with a purple one-shouldered sash and flowers in her hair as a nod to the country’s tropical climate.
The Princess defied the rules by upending the unapproachability of the monarch and bringing them back down to earth. Diana revealed that she enjoyed putting together ensembles that portrayed warmth and joy throughout her philanthropic visits. She had a particular love for children and made a point when visiting children’s hospitals to wear less formal and more playful clothing. She even avoided hats that might disrupt her ability to hold and play with the children. Diana became well known for the subtle gesture of removing her gloves to hold hands with the patients – a nod to her compassionate nature. She would no longer be remembered by her position, but by her person.
The royal was not only fashionable, she was thrifty too. It was not unusual to see Diana using pieces from previous outfits, which she would rework to create an entirely different look that still nodded back to the original style. This task was pulled off through the Princess’s unmatched confidence.
What Diana did not reveal about herself through words, she communicated through her clothing. I mean, let’s not forget about the famous bodycon number that the media coined her “revenge dress.” The Princess dressed to complement her own body type and personality rather than tacking on the trendy couture of the day – a huge feat for the 80’s and 90’s. Even today many celebrities have taken notes from Princess Di’s book, especially her own daughter-in-law Kate Middleton. There is no doubt that Diana turned the world of style on its head and will go down in history for her ability to take fashion beyond the surface level. Compassionate, kind, and confident, Princess Di solidified her mark in the front pages as a humanitarian and fashion icon. Thank you Princess for defying the rules of fashion for us all.
Hannah Gebhardt is founder of The Edifier, a writer for Lifeway Christian Ministries, and a columnist at the Standing for Freedom Center at Liberty University. She can be found on Instagram @hannah.gebhardt.