Princess Diana's 1990s Fashions Were 'Perfectly' Recreated for 'The Crown'

The creative team behind the hit Netflix royal drama The Crown have done a "fabulous job" recreating a number of Princess Diana's most "iconic" outfits from the 1990s, a royal fashion expert has told Newsweek.

Miranda Holder—celebrity stylist and royal fashion expert—has spoken of Diana's ability to "shake up" the staid image of the royal family, with her 1990s wardrobe becoming a key contributing factor to this.

The Crown's costume designer, Amy Roberts, has worked on the past three seasons of the show covering a period in fashion history spanning from the 1960s to 1990s.

In 2020, Roberts was awarded an Emmy for outstanding period costumes in Season 3, which saw Queen Elizabeth II (as played by Olivia Colman) navigate the demise of the age of deference as well as the increasing independence of her eldest son, Charles.

The character of Princess Diana was introduced to the series in its fourth season, played by Emma Corrin. For this, Roberts expertly recreated a number of the royal's most well-known 1980s fashion moments, including her wedding dress, and the same care and attention was paid to her 1990s wardrobe in season five.

Australian actress Elizabeth Debicki took on the role of Diana as the show charts her most turbulent—and ultimately tragic—decade. The princess' friend, the Daily Mail journalist Richard Kay, has called the actress the "most natural and believable Diana yet."

"Amy Roberts has done a fabulous job of recreating Princess Diana's designer outfits which were absolutely cutting edge and way ahead of their time in the 90s," Holder told Newsweek of the new season's portrayal of the royal.

"The late Princess firmly shook up the then staid image of the Royal family and made them exciting and relevant again." Diana, unlike the members of the royal family who came before her, was fully engaged with the world of fashion.

When she first married, the juvenile royal formed a relationship with British Vogue's fashion editor, Anna Harvey, to help her dress for the world's stage. Together they helped to craft an image that would make Diana one of the most famous and photographed women on the planet.

As the princess entered the 1990s, she moved away from her previous model of buying clothes nearly exclusively from British designers and branched out into the salons of Paris and New York.

With the breakdown of her marriage and official separation in 1992, Diana transformed her style, regularly wearing the clothes of designers she also called her friends, including Gianni Versace, Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren and John Galliano for Christian Dior.

"It's an absolute joy to rediscover and witness these iconic looks recreated perfectly throughout the series," Holder commented. "They made history, and for good reason."

Here, Newsweek looks at some of Princess Diana's iconic 1990s fashions recreated in season five of The Crown.

The Revenge Dress

This Christina Stambolian design was purchased by Princess Diana in the early 1990s and kept in her closet until June 1994 to attend a dinner at London's Serpentine Gallery. The event took place on the evening that Prince Charles appeared on British TV and admitted to committing adultery during his marriage.

Defiantly appearing in public wearing such an impactful dress, Diana made the front pages of all the newspapers the following day alongside Charles.

The dress was therefore dubbed the "revenge dress". It sold at auction in 1997 for $74,000.

Panorama

In November 1995, Princess Diana stunned Britain and Buckingham Palace by recording the first in-depth on camera interview since her separation from Prince Charles three years earlier.

Speaking to the BBC's Martin Bashir, the royal appeared in a paired back outfit, serious in tone to match that of the interview, consisting of a structured jacket with short skirt, soft white blouse and black tights.

Eton Blue

Princess Diana wore a chic blue blazer ensemble to attend Prince William's first day at Eton College in September 1995.

Despite their separation, both Diana and Prince Charles attended to support their son. Blue is Eton's school color.

Streamlined Suits

As the 1990s advanced, Princess Diana opted for a more simple and streamlined aesthetic than the over-the-top style she had fully embraced during the 1980s, which earned her the nickname "Dynasty Di."

For a visit to Washington to speak with the American Red Cross in 1997, the princess wore a pale lavender crepe suit with matching covered belt.

Plain, elegant day dresses with coordinating blazers became latterly a uniform for the royal in performing her humanitarian work.

Statement Blazer

As well as her famous suits, Princess Diana would also wear statement blazers that she could interchange with skirts and dresses.

Many of her blazers were purchased from the Paris fashion house of Chanel, through its London store.

Catherine Walker Evening Wear

The fashion designer who Princess Diana worked most closely with was her friend, Catherine Walker.

The French-born, British designer worked from a salon in Chelsea, not far from the princess' home at Kensington Palace and the pair collaborated on designs for over a decade.

Walker was the designer responsible for many of Diana's simpler 1990s ensembles including the red suit worn for her last official public engagement and a range of evening wear.

Season 5 of Netflix's The Crown is available to stream now.

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