The lovely story behind Princess Diana's birthday dress
A year on from her divorce, Princess Diana celebrated her last birthday on the 1st of July 1997.
She woke up to flowers and a phone call from Prince Harry, who sang her Happy Birthday, and in the evening, she attended a charity gala at the Tate Gallery, where she was the guest of honour.
For the occasion, she wore a gorgeous floor-length beaded black dress, by designer Jacques Azagury, which she teamed with an emerald and diamond choker and matching earrings, a set that belonged to the Queen and was once worn by her grandmother.
According to Hello, this was actually a last minute outfit change, as she actually received it as a birthday present that morning, and she would've planned a different outfit in advance.
The designer told the publication, 'Diana loved it. I believe she had another dress to wear but ended up wearing mine.'
He added, 'she was happier than I had ever seen her. There was something about the way she carried herself; a certain new-found confidence'.
Jacques also confided that as she was no longer an official Royal, Diana loved to wear black in the evening, a colour often worn by the family when in mourning.
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Penny Goldstone is the Contributing Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK. She writes about catwalk trends and the latest high street and Instagram sartorial must-haves. She also helms the Women Who Win franchise.
She has worked in fashion for over 10 years, contributing to publications such as Cosmopolitan, Red, Good Housekeeping, and Stylist.
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