Not Just Diana And Meghan: Kate Middleton Has Had Her Own Revenge Dress Moments

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Princess Diana was going through a heck of a time when she stepped out in the now-iconic Christina Stambolian black silk dress that broke every royal rule known to man. First of all, it was black. Second, it had a plunging neckline that showed plenty of cleavage, and third, its off-the-shoulder sleeves meant that the princess' entire collarbone was exposed, and Diana drew attention to this with a giant sapphire necklace. It went down in history as the revenge dress, given that the princess wore it to a Vanity Fair event at the Serpentine Gallery in London, on the same evening her then-husband, King Charles III's, tell-all interview with Jonathan Dimbleby was set to air. 

During the chat, Charles admitted he had indeed engaged in an affair. Dame Julia Peyton-Jones, who met with Diana at the event, remarked in a 2019 piece for The Telegraph, "As she got out of the car, it was impossible not to gasp [...] It was as if she'd come down to earth from another planet [...] We all felt drab and old-fashioned in comparison." Fashion expert Morgane Halimi pointed out to the Daily Mail in 2026 that the People's Princess knew how to use fashion to make a statement without saying a word, noting, "The way she felt on that day is that, 'I'm taking back the story and I'm here and I stand for myself." 

It shouldn't come as a surprise that other royals have followed in Diana's footsteps. Meghan Markle has had some buzzworthy revenge dress moments, but so has the typically rule-following Princess Catherine. She might be the most prim and proper royal, but the Princess of Wales has had her own moments over the years where she seemingly picked a very specific dress to send a message. 

When a prince breaks your heart, make sure you get photographed in a dress so alluring that you break his right back. That's exactly what Kate Middleton did following her widely-publicized split from Prince William back in 2007. He reportedly broke up with her over the phone, according to Russell Myers' book, "William & Catherine." It came about after Kate was ambushed by paparazzi as she was leaving her apartment (on her birthday, no less). A subsequent discussion led to Kate telling the prince she wanted him to make an official commitment to her. But he wavered. "She wasn't demanding an engagement, but she wanted a commitment, and if he couldn't deliver that, well, then she left him in no doubt that it was best they go their separate ways," Myers wrote. 

As a result, William broke things off. And they were both pretty miserable in the aftermath. Only, the future princess drowned her sorrows in fashion and parties (heartbreak never looked so good). She was photographed around 10 times but a particularly enduring shot is the one of Kate sporting a light blue mini dress with brown knee-high boots as she left the Boujis nightclub. The form-fitting dress was reminiscent of Princess Diana's revenge dress after the breakdown of her marriage, though it showed a lot less skin. Still, Catherine looked gorgeous, despite having partied the night away. We suspect William was left questioning his life decisions after seeing the photo in the papers.

Princess Catherine's brief single girl era in 2007 was marked by some of the future Princess of Wales' most unqueenly outfits. And by unqueenly, we don't mean that she didn't look absolutely stunning. It's simply that folks would be clutching their pearls if she stepped out in any of these 'fits today. During that harrowing time after her very public breakup from Prince William, Princess Catherine was out clubbing often, and on one occasion in May of that year, she was spotted in a light blue, gray, and white patterned dress paired with sheer leggings and knee-high boots. 

The top was cut so low that it appeared to be exposing her bra just a tad on one side. She paired it with a white handbag with her hair in loose curls. Catherine was likely leaving Mayfair's Mahiki, in London, when the photograph was taken. It was one of the ultra exclusive nightclubs favored by the royals and their acquaintances at the time.

During her series of eventful nights out, a very single Princess Catherine wore a bold black dress as she enjoyed another outing without Prince William at her side in May 2007. She opted for a black mini dress which, aside from being short, also sported a plunging neckline that really turned heads. The future royal paired it with a black handbag and wore her hair loose. In pics taken on that night, she appeared to be letting loose and having a grand ol' time. Nothing like an LBD and a night out to show your ex what he's missing. The look seemed to come straight out of Princess Diana's playbook. Fashion expert Morgane Halimi explained to the Daily Mail that the People's Princess used her striking black revenge dress to make a statement without actually saying anything, which is arguably what Catherine managed to do with her own version.

As Halimi professed, of Diana, "She always used fashion as a way of expression, but this time [it] was a way to communicate her personal expression of herself." Of course, after William and Catherine got back together in June 2007, the princess-to-be knew they were in it for the long haul, and she ditched her party wardrobe entirely. "Her clothing almost began to reflect what people saw in her character, a kind of restraint, kind of modesty almost," royal author Tom Quinn remarked in the 2020 Channel 5 documentary "William & Kate: Too Good To Be True" (via The Mirror). "It was Kate starting to behave in ways which would be seen more appropriate for a future queen."

Princess Catherine might dress like the future queen she is, but that doesn't mean she's stopped sneaking some revenge dresses into her royal wardrobe. In November 2023, The Firm was facing a major scandal. "Endgame," Omid Scobie's book about the royal family, had just been released, and the Dutch version included the names of the members who allegedly asked questions about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's firstborn son's skin color. Two names were printed: King Charles III and Princess Catherine. They did not appear in the English version of the book. The publishing house called it "an error," per CBC, but the damage was done.

Amid all the turmoil, Catherine attended the Royal Variety Performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London wearing a long, teal blue split-sleeve gown designed by Safiyaa. It featured a sparkling neckline and was elegantly simple, yet striking. Royal commentator Amanda Matta took to TikTok to dub the gown a "revenge dress," noting that the Princess of Wales had clearly worn this specific outfit to send a message to the public that Scobie's book wasn't getting her down. Matta also argued that, in the past, Catherine had opted for glitzy gowns for this particular event. But that year, the only glam was her gown's neckline, making for a much more conservative look.

"I think you can call this her revenge look because it is clearly an attempt by her team to paint Kate in a certain way in the wake of whatever revelations were going to come out of this book," Matta reasoned, adding that, while this was not a traditional revenge dress, it served as such for "people who would dare criticize the royal family and Kate."

As Omid Scobie's "Endgame" continued to dominate headlines in December 2023, royal watchers kept a close eye on Princess Catherine's wardrobe — and she didn't disappoint. When the beloved royal attended the Diplomatic Corps Reception, she donned another jaw-dropping gown. The shimmering rose pink sequin dress, designed by her go-to Jenny Packham, was a total stunner, and Catherine added to the sparkle with the Lover's Knot Tiara, which appeared to be a nod to Princess Diana, who favored the historic piece. The Daily Mail's Liz Jones called the gown "the ultimate revenge dress," gushing that Catherine "literally shines under pressure."

It's worth noting how impressive it is that she showed up with her head held high. Aside from the disturbing allegations, Scobie's book also attacked Catherine in other ways, painting her as a cold-hearted person who cared little for Meghan Markle during her short tenure as a senior royal. The author claimed that Catherine looked down on the Duchess of Sussex and called her a "Stepford-like royal wife" behind her back. She also reportedly has a habit of "shiver[ing]" whenever someone mentions Meghan's name in her presence. Additionally, Scobie detailed how the princess "ignored Meghan's cries for help" as she was struggling to adjust to royal life.

Needless to say, the book painted Catherine in a terrible light, but with the Jenny Peckham gown, she tried to outshine the dark shadows of gossip. Whether that worked is debatable, but even if she didn't have the support of certain fans, many royal experts defended her. Robert Jobson, for one, decried "Endgame" as "a complete character assassination of a woman who has done nothing but try to serve her queen and now her king and country" in an interview with the Daily Mail.