When Princess Diana floated down the red carpet at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival, cameras flashed and the world watched in awe. But her soft blue tulle gown held deeper meaning than most realized.
More than a fashion moment, the strapless, powder-blue dress by Catherine Walker was a quiet tribute to Princess Grace of Monaco. With its flowing silhouette and icy hue, the gown echoed the Edith Head design Grace Kelly famously wore in To Catch a Thief, filmed along the Riviera.
Diana had met Grace in 1981, just after her engagement. Overwhelmed, the young princess-to-be was comforted by Grace—an early royal confidante whose tragic 1982 death in a car crash deeply affected Diana.
At Cannes, Diana and Prince Charles were there for a 10-hour visit honoring Sir Alec Guinness. At the gala dinner and a screening of The Whales of August, Diana didn’t speak—but didn’t need to. Her presence, and her gown, spoke volumes.
Few recognized the tribute at the time. But the resemblance, and sentiment behind it, is unmistakable today.
The dress later appeared at the Miss Saigon premiere, then in Diana’s 1997 Christie’s auction just months before her own tragic death. Originally sold for $70,700, it resurfaced in 2013 for over $132,000, benefiting children’s charities.
Diana’s gown wasn’t just style—it was memory, legacy, and quiet homage in motion.