Though Princess Diana was not only a part of the fashion conversation but a leader of the fashion conversation for most of her public life—from her July 29, 1981 wedding day to Prince Charles until her death on August 31, 1997—she only attended one Met Gala, attending the event on December 9, 1996. (Anna Wintour had just assumed chairmanship of the event the year prior, in 1995, though she didn’t chair it in 1996, in favor of fellow magazine editor Liz Tilberis; since its formation in 1948 the Met was always exclusive and a hot ticket—but it hadn’t yet reached its peak “first Monday in May” fever pitch.)
