One of Princess Diana’s most famous outfits, the striking black dress she wore on the night her then-husband, King Charles III, publicly acknowledged his infidelity, is set to go under the hammer at Sotheby’s.

The dress, popularly known as Diana’s “revenge dress,” carries a presale estimate of up to $300,000. Before the auction, the iconic garment is being displayed at Sotheby’s in London as part of an international tour highlighting Diana’s lasting influence on fashion and popular culture.

Diana wore the figure-hugging, off-the-shoulder silk dress, designed by Greek fashion designer Christina Stambolian, to a gala at London’s Serpentine Gallery on June 29, 1994. Earlier that day, Charles had acknowledged his adultery in a televised interview.

Diana was reportedly aware that the revelation was imminent and chose the bold outfit for the public appearance. The dress, paired with a sapphire necklace, black pumps and bright red nail polish, quickly became one of the most memorable looks associated with the late princess.

Morgane Halimi, Sotheby’s global head of handbags and fashion, said Diana had long used clothing as a means of expressing herself, but suggested that the particular appearance represented a moment of personal assertion.

The images of Diana in the dress attracted worldwide attention, with the British tabloid The Sun famously declaring the following day: “Revenge is chic.”

The episode became part of the highly publicised breakdown of Diana and Charles’ marriage. In a subsequent interview the following year, Diana acknowledged her own extramarital relationship and famously described the situation by saying there were “three of us in this marriage,” referring to Charles’ relationship with Camilla Parker-Bowles, now Queen Camilla.

Charles and Diana divorced in 1996. Diana died in a Paris car crash in 1997 at the age of 36.

Nearly three decades later, the dress remains one of the most recognisable pieces of fashion associated with the former Princess of Wales, whose public image continues to attract worldwide interest.

(Credit: AP)