We Finally Know Why Prince Charles And Princess Diana Divorced

Diana Spencer and Prince Charles, as we have well established, didn't see eye to eye on a number of issues — and by the time the mid-1990s rolled around, the two were on entirely different wavelengths. To the surprise of many, Charles admitted — while still married to Diana — that he had engaged in an extramarital affair, sitting down for an interview about the subject. "It is a deeply regrettable thing to happen, but it does happen, and unfortunately, in this case, it has happened," Charles said on the record in June 1994 (via People). So what did Diana do in response to her then-husband's public admission of infidelity? She busted out the revenge dress.

People noted that in the immediate aftermath of Charles' interview, Diana attended a gala at London's Serpentine Gallery, donning an off-the-shoulder black cocktail dress paired with a head-turning pearl choker. To say she looked radiant, confident, and a bit ruthless is an understatement, and the look has stood the test of time. Did the move contribute to her divorce? Possibly, but she looked great while doing so.

"On a human level for Diana, you can only imagine how upsetting that would have been," People's senior editor, Michelle Tauber, explained. "Some may have decided this was altogether too much and tried to avoid the cameras, stay out of the limelight — just let the storm pass. That is not what Diana chose to do that night."