When Princess Diana glided down the red carpet at the 1987 Cannes Film Festival, every gaze was fixed on her — the cameras flashing, the crowd holding its breath, captivated by her otherworldly grace.
Yet beneath the shimmering surface of her delicate blue tulle gown, few could sense the silent story woven into every thread — a quiet tribute to a woman who understood her pain like no other.
More than fashion
Whenever Princess Diana appeared in public, every eye was irresistibly drawn to her. Dubbed “The People’s Princess,” she captivated the world not only with her warmth and charisma but also by redefining royal style. Throughout the 1980s and ’90s, Diana became a global fashion trailblazer, favoring soft, approachable looks that broke from rigid tradition.
A signature of her wardrobe? Pastels — gentle, graceful hues that softened her royal image, appearing in everything from impeccably tailored suits to elegant, flowing gowns.
Yet one of her most quietly iconic fashion moments, less celebrated but deeply meaningful, took place back in 1987.
Diana’s visit to Cannes alongside Prince Charles was fleeting — lasting only about 10 hours. Officially, the royal couple was there to pay tribute to Sir Alec Guinness, champion the British film industry, and grace a dazzling black-tie gala at the iconic Festival Palace.
Intense security at the Gala dinner
Diana didn’t utter a word during the dinner — but she didn’t need to. Every gaze, every camera lens, was fixed solely on her. That evening quickly became the festival’s most coveted invitation, with security so tight that guests had to present their passports just to gain entry.
As Diana glided into the screening of The Whales of August, many saw only a princess in a breathtaking gown. Photographers surrounded her, capturing every angle — the delicate chiffon scarf of her dress trailing softly in the breeze, as if dancing with the night itself.
But this wasn’t just another glamorous photo opportunity. Diana’s strapless, powder-blue gown—meticulously crafted by her longtime designer Catherine Walker—was much more than a stunning outfit.
Walker, the visionary behind many of Diana’s most iconic looks, created a dress that did more than captivate the cameras—it whispered a quiet tribute to another royal woman who had left an indelible mark on Diana’s heart. With its flowing silhouette and icy blue shade, the gown evoked the timeless grace of Princess Grace of Monaco, whose tragic fate remained a haunting presence in Diana’s thoughts.
Born in Philadelphia, Grace Kelly was the very embodiment of grace and glamour. She left Hollywood’s bright lights behind at just 26 to marry Prince Rainier III and become the beloved Princess of Monaco.
Tragically, just five years before the 1987 Cannes Film Festival, Grace’s life was cut short in a devastating car accident — a heartbreaking fate that, heartbreakingly, would mirror Diana’s own ten years later.
Barely a mention
Yet on that glittering night in Cannes, few in the media caught the delicate homage stitched into Diana’s flowing pale blue gown—a quiet reflection of Grace’s timeless, icy elegance.
Hardly anyone realized that Diana’s dress was a subtle tribute to one of her earliest royal kindred spirits. At the time, newspapers barely hinted at the connection; a look through the 1987 archives reveals little more than fleeting mentions.
But today — and for a few keen-eyed observers even then — the link feels unmistakable. The gown’s icy blue hue and graceful silhouette echoed the iconic Edith Head dress Grace Kelly wore in Alfred Hitchcock’s To Catch a Thief, a film forever entwined with the glamour of the French Riviera.
That choice was deliberate. Diana and her trusted designer Catherine Walker drew direct inspiration from Grace’s iconic screen presence—even selecting the very shade of blue that Hitchcock had chosen to capture a cool, elusive beauty.
Diana and Grace Kelly shared a rare, quiet connection. Though their time together was brief, it left an indelible mark on Diana’s heart.
In 1981, shortly after her engagement, a nervous and overwhelmed 19-year-old Diana had met Grace at a charity gala. When the emotions overwhelmed her and she fled to the ladies’ room in tears, it was Grace—then 51—who gently embraced her and offered the kind of wisdom only someone who had navigated royal life could provide. That tender moment stayed with Diana forever.
Cannes held a special place in Princess Grace’s story — it was on the shimmering shores of the French Riviera that, as an American actress, she first met her future husband, Prince Rainier, in April 1955.
Thirty-two years later, when Diana stepped onto that very same soil, she paid a quiet, heartfelt tribute. No speeches. No headlines. Just fabric, color, and memory.
The gown’s delicate chiffon scarf added an ethereal, flowing touch, “catching the breeze that was high on the evening of the film screening,” as Newsweek beautifully captured.
Two years later, Diana wore that same gown again for the premiere of Miss Saigon. And in 1997 — mere months before her own tragic passing — she included it in her famous Christie’s charity auction, where 79 of her most iconic dresses found new homes.
According to Tatler, the Cannes gown sold for $70,700. It resurfaced at auction in 2013, fetching over $132,000, with proceeds going to children’s charities.
In 2017, the dress was displayed behind glass at Kensington Palace as part of a poignant tribute marking the 20th anniversary of Diana’s passing. Today, it stands as a timeless capsule — not only of Diana’s unmatched style but also of her quiet resilience, her grief, and her homage to a woman who truly understood her pain.
