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February 23, 2017

Princess Diana's fashion style on display at Kensington Palace

WATCH: Princess Diana's dresses go on display
By CAROLYN DURAND and LAMA HASAN

A new exhibition at Kensington Palace chronicles Princess Diana's evolving style during her life before her tragic death in 1997.

The exhibition, titled "Diana: Her Fashion Story," offers a unique look at Diana's style and features some of her most stunning outfits.

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A 1990 Bruce Oldfield cream satin dress (C) worn by Princess Diana during a visit to the Courtauld Institute of Art in 1990 and a State Banquet at Buckingham Palace in 1991 on display next to a 1987 Catherine Walker pink satin evening gown (R) worn by princess Diana for an official portrait in 1987 as well as during official visits to Germany at a press preview at Kensington Palace, on Feb. 22, 2017 in London.
Diana Statue to Be Erected on the Grounds of Kensington Palace Princess Diana's Fashion on Display

The dress Diana dubbed her "Elvis dress" will be on display. Diana accessorized the white, sleeveless gown, featuring thousands of tiny pearls and sequins, with a matching pearl-encrusted, high-collar jacket. She first wore the Catherine Walker dress to Hong Kong in 1989 and later wore the dress with her favorite tiara, the pearl and diamond Cambridge Lovers Knot Tiara.

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Diana, Princess of Wales wears the "Elvis dress" during a visit to the Culture Center in Hong Kong, Nov. 8, 1989.

One of Diana's dazzling green velvet gowns on display shows a moment in history 20 years after her death. The tiny handprints of a then-3-year-old Prince William and 1-year-old Prince Harry are embedded in the fabric of the Victor Edelstein dress. The handprints appear to show the young princes clutching their mother for a hug.

"Diana: Her Fashion Story" showcases 25 dresses and gowns from Diana's most iconic moments, including the dress she wore to dance with John Travolta at the White House in 1985 and the dress Diana wore when she first appeared in public after her mid-1990s separation from Prince Charles.

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John Travolta twirls Princess Diana on the dance floor while at a White House banquet, on Nov. 9, 1985, in Washington. Ronald and Nancy Reagan can be seen in the background.

The outfits represent Diana's life from her early 20s to the time of her death at age 36.

Jack Taylor/Getty Images
A 1991 Atelier Versace silk gown worn by Princess Diana at a Harper's Bazaar photo-shoot with Patrick Demarchelier on display at a press preview at Kensington Palace, on Feb. 22, 2017, in London. The exhibition 'Diana: Her Fashion Story', which showcases a number of the Princess' dresses and outfits, opens to the public on Feb. 24 as part of events commemorating the life of Princess Diana to mark the 20th anniversary of her death in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997.
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Diana, Princess of Wales wears a Catherine Walker evening gown as she attends a charity dinner at the Palace of Versailles, Nov. 28, 1994 in Versailles, France.

The exhibition, which is tied to the 20th anniversary of Diana's death, includes several dresses from Catherine Walker, one of Diana's favorite and most prolific designers. Among the dresses by Walker is a floral scoop neck dress Diana wore to a Christie's auction in 1997; the black halter necklace sequined gown Diana donned at Versailles in 1994; and the blush pink suit Diana wore to a children's charity event at the Savoy hotel in 1997.

"Diana: Her Fashion Story" opens at Kensington Palace on Feb. 24. It is organized by Historic Royal Palaces, the charity that oversees exhibitions at Kensington Palace.

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