Analysis of Google search data reveals that online searches for ‘Revenge dress’ exploded 400% on the 6th November, the day after Elizabeth Debicki – who plays Princess Diana in season five of The Crown – was photographed wearing the famous gown on set.

A new finding by creative resource Design Bundles reveals that online interest in ‘Revenge dress’ skyrocketed to five times the average volume in one day, an unprecedented spike in interest for people Googling information about Princess Diana’s revenge dress, according to Google Trends analysis.

The ‘revenge dress’ – a £900, form-fitting black silk cocktail dress by Christina Stambolian – was showcased by Princess Diana on the day that Prince Charles confessed his affair with Camilla Parker-Bowles on television to the world. Princess Diana accessorised the outfit with a multi-row pearl necklace crafted from a brooch given to her by the Queen Mother on her wedding day, sheer tights, and black heels.

A spokesperson for Design Bundles commented on the findings:

“Princess Diana had the extraordinary gift of communicating meaning through style, and that’s exactly what we see with her famous ‘revenge dress’. Outfits like Diana’s revenge gown: a black, off-the-shoulder Christina Stambolian dress, which she was initially concerned would be perceived as ‘too racy’, remind the world that she was an absolute force of nature, with the ability to use style to her advantage and control the narrative about her. Diana wore the ‘revenge dress’ on the night that her husband, Prince Charles, confessed his infidelity, and it put her across every front page, ensuring that that she remained an absolute icon”.