Princess Diana's wax figure arrives at Paris' Grévin Museum in her iconic 1994 revenge dress

The late Princess Diana has posthumously made a graceful return to Paris; this time, in the historic Grévin Wax Museum. One of Britain's most beloved royal figures, she is now immortalised in wax while wearing her iconic revenge dress. The story behind the new addition to the French museum is that they had it commissioned after their director visited London and felt that the likeness at Madame Tussauds did not fully capture her. The wax figure is posed just as she stood on the night of 1994: wearing the black off-the-shoulder cocktail dress, high heels, a pearl choker, and holding a small clutch. 

In the mid-1990s, when Diana's marriage to the then-Prince of Wales Charles publicly unraveled, she found herself at the centre of media scrutiny. Her response came not through statements, but through a now-historic fashion moment: the sleek black Christina Stambolian dress she wore to a public event the very next evening. Later dubbed the 'revenge dress', it was a confident yet wordless reminder of her poise and independence.

The Grévin Museum states, "It is no coincidence that Lady Diana's statue was unveiled on 20 November. Exactly 30 years ago, on this date, Lady Diana sat down for her famous BBC interview. For the first time, she spoke openly and sincerely about her personal life—a moment that changed the way the public saw her. Her now-legendary line, "We were three in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded", is still remembered today."

Brought to life by Grévin’s artisans, the statue required an intricate process that went on for months. The museum’s workshop typically uses around 34 kilograms of wax and 22 litres of paint per figure, followed by which its artists painstakingly insert thousands of individual hairs to create lifelike texture.

(Also Read: Sonam Kapoor's pink pregnancy announcement look in a 1988 Escada suit is a nod to Princess Diana's sophisticated style)

The wax figure of Lady Di sits beneath the museum’s ornate domed gallery, surrounded by those that span centuries of culture, politics, fashion, and entertainment including representations of Jean Paul Gaultier, Marie Antoinette, and Louis XIV. Other rooms of the museum feature world leaders, athletes, scientists, and stars: Napoleon Bonaparte, Albert Einstein, Kylian Mbappé, Marilyn Monroe, Penélope Cruz and more.

Her arrival in wax is not just as a memorial, but as a reaffirmation of the princess' lasting cultural presence.

(Also Read: From Princess Diana to Dakota Johnson, 7 of the most iconic revenge dresses of all time)