Royal Author Claims Diana Used a Clever Trick to Drive Camilla ‘Insane': "Wore One of Her..."

Princess Diana's bold fashion sense and her tumultuous marriage with Prince Charles sparked much tabloid fodder. But what's lesser-known is that heartbroken over her husband's affair, she deliberately picked outfits from Camilla Parker Bowles' rival’s clothing line, to get under her skin. Royal author Tina Brown revealed that this drove Parker Bowles ‘insane.’

In her book, The Palace Papers: Inside the House of Windsor–the Truth and the Turmoil, royal author Brown spilled that Diana wore outfits from Lady Tryon’s famous clothing line 'Kanga'. The rivalry between Parker Bowles and Dale Tryon dates back to the '70s when Charles juggled both women as love interests. Brown explained, “Dale’s directness, warmth, and talent at country entertaining were just the sort of qualities that Charles admired in Camilla. It did not make Camilla happy that Dale put it about that Charles was said to have declared Dale ‘the only woman who ever understood me.’” Ultimately, the Prince ended up choosing Parker Bowles over Lady Tryon.

Kanga was a huge hit in the 1980s, catching also Diana's attention, who wanted to send a clear message to her husband's mistress, who had resumed her affair. As per the Daily Mail, Brown said that Diana, at the 'height' of her jealousy chose to wear a specific dress for Live Aid, which had a global television fanbase of millions. “Princess Diana wore one of her [Tryon’s] deeply off-brand, multi-patterned dresses just to make Camilla insane.” Brown added, “All this stuff about Lady Tryon being such a friend of Lady Diana—she has never even met Diana Spencer.”

Diana was involved with Tyron's Kanga in her late teens with a popular set called the ‘Sloan Rangers.’ According to the New York Post, after moving to London and marrying Lord Tryon, Lady Tryon became a close confidant to Prince Charles, which made Parker Bowles jealous. Brown claimed in her book that Diana’s snarky outfits were received and understood by her. She became even more distant towards Lady Tryon, assuming her closeness to the 'People’s Princess.'

The deliberate outfit pickings weren't an isolated incident when Diana threw a jab at Parker Bowles. Her iconic revenge dress served as a powerful statement of rivalry and freedom. She wore the bold black outfit after Charles admitted to his infidelity with Parker Bowles during an interview. On another occasion, during a royal tour in 1983, when she wore a striking black sheep sweater, a cheeky nod to her outsider status in the royal family. Similarly, post her divorce from Charles, Diana wore her infamous 'nightdress' Met Gala outfit as a symbol of her liberation from the royal fold. By dressing in these pieces, Diana played a quiet game of revenge, using her royal wardrobe as the ultimate power play.