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PARIS – In an homage to Princess Diana, a Parisian wax museum has introduced a new figure showcasing the late royal in her iconic “revenge dress,” years after her untimely demise in the French capital.
The Grevin Museum, one of Europe’s most historic wax institutions, has clothed the life-sized replica of Princess Diana in the sleek, off-the-shoulder black cocktail dress she famously donned at a 1994 Serpentine Gallery event in London. This appearance coincided with the moment when then-Prince Charles publicly admitted to infidelity with Camilla Parker Bowles on television.
For Parisians, this tribute holds particular significance, as the city was where Diana met her tragic end in a car accident in 1997. Her memory lingers with many, as admirers continue to leave floral tributes and heartfelt messages at makeshift memorials throughout the city.
Diana’s relationship with Dodi Al Fayed and their fatal crash have forever linked her legacy with Paris.
Museum representatives revealed to The Associated Press that the Grevin director commissioned this likeness after finding the Madame Tussauds version in London lacking during a prior visit. The unveiling coincides with the 30-year anniversary of Diana’s revealing BBC “Panorama” interview, which significantly impacted the monarchy’s image and the Queen’s reputation.
Some observers noted how the museum’s newest royal guest was positioned far from wax likenesses of her ex-husband and former mother-in-law.
High heels, a pearl choker at her neck and a small handbag clasped in both hands completed the sculpture. Tabloids later dubbed the outfit the “revenge dress,” and the museum leaned into that symbolism.
French novelist Christine Orban, who wrote “Mademoiselle Spencer,” a novel imagined from Diana’s point of view, said the figure was overdue.
She called the black dress a turning point in Diana’s story.
“The dress is very significant of her liberation because in the royal family, black is only worn for funerals, and then such a sexy dress for a Princess of Wales, well, that’s not common either,” she said. “So she decides to wear her high heels and Louboutins. And to go to the Serpentine Gallery to make an impression, to get photographed.”
Grevin, founded in the 19th century, has long packed its ornate halls with political leaders, artists, pop-culture figures — and, yes, British royals. Diana is the latest in a steady stream of star wattage additions the museum uses to refresh the collection and boost visitors at the site that has attracted some 700,000 annual visitors in recent years.
News of the unveiling filtered through Paris, even before most people had a chance to visit.
“It brought back that night in the tunnel, even though I was a kid then,” said Julien Martin, 38. “Paris never completely let go of Diana, so it made sense that a big wax museum finally did this.”
“I wasn’t even alive but for my generation, she seems like the first modern princess — glamorous, but also vulnerable,” said 24-year-old student Lina Ben Amar. “If tourists come to see celebrities in wax, she is one of the first they will look for.”
Diana will be in good company. Curators set her beside another prominent royal who died in Paris — albeit centuries earlier: Marie-Antoinette.
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