This stunning pink gown was originally designed by Linda Mattock for the 1978 ITV miniseries 𝑳𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒆, in which Francesca Annis portrayed Lillie Langtry, the famous socialite and actress known for her affair with the future King Edward VII. Mattock’s designs for the series earned a BAFTA nomination. Bonham’s later described the gown as: 𝒂 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎-𝒇𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒌/𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒔𝒊𝒍𝒌, 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒔𝒘𝒂𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒓𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒇𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒅 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒂𝒓, 𝒋𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒕, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒔. In 1983, when Diana, Princess of Wales, attended a Klondike Gold Rush–themed event in Edmonton, Alberta, she needed a period-appropriate costume. John Bright, founder of Cosprop, brought several pieces to Kensington Palace for her to try. Amused and mischievous, Diana chose this dress knowing it had belonged to a character famed for her affairs with the Prince of Wales — a title Diana’s own husband, Charles, held — and reportedly told Bright she “wouldn’t mention [the history of the dress] around the palace.” The gown had to be altered to fit Diana, and she chose not to wear Victorian undergarments. Without them, the gown loses some of the shape and structure that made it so striking in 𝑳𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒆.
