Princess Diana only attended the Met Gala once, but she certainly made her mark on fashion’s biggest night.
The late Princess of Wales went to the iconic event at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City on Dec. 9, 1996. Not only was Diana’s presence at the fundraiser a surprise, but her John Galliano for Dior navy slip dress shocked many, given its deviation from the strict dress code typically followed by members of the royal family.
With its lace-trimmed neckline and coordinating robe-style topper, Gallino’s design resembled lingerie in a major departure from Diana’s established style. She finished her look off with diamond and sapphire earrings, bracelets and a necklace similar to her engagement ring from Prince Charles as well as the Dior Lady Di bag, which was renamed as a tribute to her.
Diana attended the Met Gala less than four months after she finalized her divorce from Charles, now 77. The pair—who shared sons Prince William, now 43, and Prince Harry, now 41—tied the knot in July 1981 and confirmed their separation in December 1992, though their marriage wasn’t legally over until August 1996. Diana’s bold Met Gala look signaled a shift in her approach to public life after her divorce from Charles as she strayed from royal protocol and embraced her independence.
? SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox ?
Nearly three decades after Diana wore his design at the Met Gala, Galliano, now 65, reflected on the process of creating the risqué ensemble for the royal.
“It was like a blessing. I mean, like, wow,” Galliano recalled in the 2024 Hulu docuseries In Vogue: The 90s. “We went to Kensington Palace and discussed drawings. I was trying to push for pink, but she was not having it. ‘No, not the pink!’ That was real, real fun.”
Patrick McMullan via Getty Images
While Galliano noted that the dress was “beautifully done” after multiple fittings, he revealed that Diana made a last-minute change before she arrived at the fundraiser.
“Fast-forward to the event, and I just remember her getting out of the car,” he recounted with a gasp. “I couldn’t believe it. She’d ripped the corset out.”
“She didn’t want to wear the corset,” he continued. “She felt so liberated. She’d torn the corset out. The dress was much more … sensuous.”
Meanwhile, Anna Wintour—who took over as Met Gala chair the year before Diana’s debut—recalled her own memories of the princess’ night out in New York.
“I think all of us were so captivated and fascinated by Princess Diana,” Wintour, now 76, said in the docuseries. “At that time, she was the most famous woman in the world. She was enjoying fashion and the spotlight that she put on particularly British designers.”
Diana was the first member of the British royal family to attend the Met Gala. Since then, Princess Beatrice is the only one to follow in her footsteps, walking the red carpet in a purple Alberta Ferretti gown in 2018. Still, royal watchers might see others in the future as Wintour previously told the Today show in 2019 that Princess Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle are her “dream” Met Gala guests.
As for Diana, less than one year after her Met Gala debut, she died in August 1997 following a car accident in Paris. She was 36.
Hence then, the article about princess diana broke royal protocol with sensuous met gala look 30 years ago so liberated was published today ( ) and is available on Parade ( Saudi Arabia ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Princess Diana Broke Royal Protocol With ‘Sensuous’ Met Gala Look 30 Years Ago: ‘So Liberated’ )
Also on site :
- Slate Pears Game 263: May 4, 2026
- Payment Networks Ready Infrastructure for Agentic Commerce at Scale .. PYMNTS.com
- How Chinese carmaker Geely put roots in the U.S.