Diana's 'revenge dress' to go up for auction in New York

Princess Diana's famous "revenge dress" that she wore on the evening that then-Prince Charles made a public admission of adultery is to be auctioned in New York in December.

Diana wore the daring off-the-shoulder gown to a gala dinner in London in 1994 on the day that her husband, now the king, admitted during a TV interview to being unfaithful.

"Princess Diana turned the dress into one of the most powerful messages she ever made, during one of the most scrutinized and emotionally charged episodes of her life," said Morgane Halimi of Sotheby's, which announced the upcoming sale on Thursday.

It "gave license to anyone, but especially women, to use fashion beyond adornment and much more intentionally and meaningfully: as a shield, a weapon or both," she said.

The dress, designed by Christina Stambolian, is estimated to fetch between $150,000 and $300,000, with some proceeds going to charity.

It was previously auctioned for cancer and AIDS charities in 1997, shortly before Diana died in a car accident in Paris at the age of 36.