Diana, Princess of Wales has long been remembered as a fashion icon, known for her stylish ensembles that often pushed the boundaries of what had previously been expected from the royals.
It was thanks in part to her stylist Anna Harvey, who helped to create some of her most memorable looks, starting with her honeymoon wardrobe following her wedding to Prince Charles.
Stylist Anna Harvey worked with Princess Diana for many years
However Anna has admitted there was a lot of indecision about outfits in the early days, when both she and Diana were unsure about royal fashion etiquette.
"Neither of us really knew that much about royal etiquette and what was expected of her style-wise," Anna wrote in a feature for The Telegraph. "'We're going to Balmoral and we have to dress for tea,' Diana would say, and then we'd have to guess about the style of dress she should wear and find lots of options. She very quickly jettisoned gloves. The Royal family all wore them, but Diana just preferred not to."
The stylist said a turning point came when Diana wore a one-shoulder white dress from Hachi to attend the James Bond Octopussy film premiere.
This dress apparently helped Diana to realise she could "make a huge statement" with her clothes
"It was quite ahead of the game, fashion-wise, and considered a bit 'much' for the Princess of Wales – she looked too good," Anna explained. "Still, I think that was when she realised that, if she was clever, she could make a huge statement with what she wore and where she wore it."
From then on Anna said that Diana became increasingly confident in her style, wearing bold colours and fashionable pieces from high profile designers who "felt honoured to work with the Princess".
"Everyone was always so nervous, but Diana put them at ease. She started off so shy and ended up so confident. It just shows what we can still all learn from her," Anna wrote.
An exhibition showcasing some of Princess Diana's most memorable outfits goes on display at Kensington Palace on 24 February to commemorate twenty years since her death. Meanwhile it was announced at the weekend that a statue of Diana will be erected in the grounds of Kensington Palace later this year at the request of her sons, Princes William and Harry.
