The dress that made Princess Diana feel confident after her divorce

A great dress can do wonders for a woman’s confidence; and a letter written by Princess Diana in the aftermath of her divorce shows that even royalty needs a sartorial boost from time to time.

Catherine Walker & Co, a British fashion brand made famous by Diana, is celebrating 40 years with an exhibition which includes several dresses worn by the former wife of Prince Charles. 

One of the outfits, a white embroidered evening dress worn by Diana to a gala in Washington in 1996, is displayed alongside a handwritten letter from her, detailing how the gown gave her the confidence boost following her much-publicised split from Charles. 

Related video: Diana's early life

Image: Getty

Cyrus Walker, co-founder of the brand, told PEOPLE that following the divorce, they would lend dresses to Diana to wear in public.

“When she returned them, we had no idea at the time that there was anything special about them,” he said. “But obviously now we look at them and we treasure them.”

He spoke of Diana’s ability to dress in a way that made people feel comfortable, saying: “She didn’t want to wear something which was overpowering so the balance between looking like a princess and looking friendly was something which my wife and I looked at quite a lot.” 

And he also praised the Princess for always being kind and warm to Cyrus and his wife, fellow brand co-founder Catherine. “She was extremely polite, very courteous, very humble,” he said. “She was never late for an appointment and she always wrote us a note to thank us when she wore something that was particularly admired.”