Diana: her life in dresses.

A new exhibition shows how the late princess’ style journey reflected the changes in her world

SHE was the most photographed woman in the world, an icon of 20th-century glamour. From her demure “Shy Di” days as the future king of England’s young fiancée to the provocative, confident era of the sophisticated divorcee, Princess Diana always wore her heart on her sleeve, her clothes reflecting the tumultuous changes in her personal circumstances.

Who can forget the achingly innocent young nursery-school worker, posing for cameras, her legs backlit by sunlight and visible through her skirt? A very different Diana emerged after her divorce, the sleek modern woman as captured so memorably by Mario Testino in a breathtaking series of blackand-white portraits.

Now, nearly 20 years after her untimely death in a Parisian tunnel, Princess Diana’s wardrobe is the subject of a major new exhibition on display in her home, Kensington Palace. Run by the Historic Royal Palaces charity, Diana: Her Fashion Story features 25 of her most iconic outfits, from the frilly, fussy fashions of her early public life to the assured, more tailored styles that came later.

The wardrobe also reveals poignant secrets. A cluster of tiny fingerprints at knee height are visible on a bottle-green evening dress, designed by Victor Edelstein in 1985. The marks were made by her sons as they clutched their mother’s legs. Prince William would have been around three and Prince Harry just one.

“Because it’s made from a beautiful silk velvet, heat and moisture can make indentations in the fabric,” exhibition curator Eleri Lynn explains. “How magical to think these prints from the princes’ little hands may have lasted all this time.

“Our exhibition explores the story of a young woman who had to quickly learn the rules of royal and diplomatic dressing,” she says. “We see her growing in confidence throughout her life, increasingly taking control of how she was represented, and intelligently communicating through her clothes.”

Here we take a look at some of her most iconic outfits.