How Old Was Princess Diana When She Wore Her Most Iconic Looks?

Part of the power which Princess Diana‘s legacy holds in 2022, 25 years after her tragic death at the age of 36, is its visual appeal.

From movies to art, editorials, runway collections and street style, the visual aesthetic curated, and ultimately left behind, by Diana is identifiable across our cultural platforms today.

In August, the anniversary of the princess’ death saw a surge in social media posts about the royal go viral, further aided by the impeding release of a new season of Netflix‘s The Crown in which Diana was played by Australian-born actress Elizabeth Debicki.

Part of The Crown‘s winning formula to presenting a believable and authentic Diana has been the painstaking recreation of some of her most famous looks, from her 1981 David and Elizabeth Emanuel wedding gown, to her 1994 Christina Stambolian “revenge dress”.

An aspect of the show which captured the attention of many viewers who may not have been born at the time of her death, was how young she was when she entered the royal family and faced the scrutiny of being on the world’s stage.

Lady Diana Spencer met Prince Charles when she was 16 through her older sister Sarah. The pair began dating when she was 19 in 1980 and became engaged less than a year later.

By the time she was 20, Diana had married the most eligible bachelor in the world, become the Princess of Wales and the most photographed woman on the planet.

The couple’s two children were born before the royal’s 24th birthday, they officially separated when she was 30, divorced at 35 and would die in a Paris car crash just two months after her 36th birthday.

During her lifetime, Diana developed her personal style to convey messages and set the tone for some of her unspoken inner turmoil. After her death her dresses became relics, now housed in museums across the world being preserved for future generations.

Here, Newsweek looks at a collection of Princess Diana’s most iconic outfits and the age she was when she wore them.

First Royal Engagement Dress, 1981—Age: 19

Lady Diana Spencer made a splash at her first public engagement as Prince Charles’ 19-year-old fiancé by wearing a daring strapless black evening gown which was widely reported on for going against royal protocol and fashion convention at the time.

Remembering the gown…