Dress Princess Diana wore to dance with John Travolta is going on display at Kensington Palace
Princess of Wales wore the gown to a White House dinner in 1985
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Princess Diana's “Travolta Dress” is to go on display at Kensington Palace, from Thursday.
The royal residence, which is normally open as a tourist attraction, has been closed to visitors for the last four months amid the coronavirus pandemic.
However, the west London palace is now reopening its doors to the public and to celebrate it is putting a very special dress on display.
The gown, designed by Victor Edelstein, was worn by Princess Diana to a gala dinner at the White House which was hosted by then-President Ronald Reagan and First Lady Nancy Reagan on 9 November 1985.
The midnight blue velvet dress featured off-the-shoulder straps, a floor-sweeping velvet skirt, a decorative bow and layers of tulle petticoats.
And, while it was showstopping in its own right, the gown became one of Diana’s most iconic outfits after footage of her dancing with Grease actor John Travolta was seen worldwide.
The dress was bought by charity Historic Royal Palaces in December 2019 for £264,000 and has been in a specialist conservation facility since.
“Like Kensington Palace itself, the dress is now coming out of isolation, and will be on display at the Princess’s former home this Summer for visitors to enjoy,” the organisation said in a statement.
Eleri Lynn, curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said the company had been considering “the right moment to display this exquisite example of British couture created for Diana, Princess of Wales.”
She continued: “One of the princess's most iconic gowns, its wow-factor and timeless elegance prove a fitting introduction to a building embodying those very attributes.“
In addition to the White House dinner, the dress was worn by the princess for several other official visits, including a trip to Austria in 1986 and Germany in 1987, to attend the London premiere of the film Wall Street in 1988, and to sit for an official portrait by the artist Israel Zohar.
The Princess of Wales wore the gown for the last time in 1997 when she was photographed by Lord Snowdon. It was then auctioned in June 1997 – just two months before the royal’s death – as one of 79 outfits to raise money for Aids charities and sold again in 2013 before finding its way to auction last year.
Sam Owen, head of Kensington Palace, said the attraction is “delighted” to be reopening, adding: “We’ve never needed their support more — each visit is an important contribution to help us maintain this wonderful building for generations to come.”
Hand sanitiser dispensers and social distancing signs are in place at the palace and visitors are being asked to book tickets in advance.
For more information and to make a booking visit the Historic Royal Palaces website.
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