Lady Amelia Spencer and Lady Eliza Spencer are the twin daughters of Charles Spencer, Princess Diana’s younger brother. And they channelled their famous aunt at a major fashion event in London
Princess Diana’s nieces, Lady Amelia Spencer and Lady Eliza Spencer, certainly turned heads as they walked the red carpet at the 2024 British Fashion Awards.
The striking twins, daughters of Diana’s younger brother Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, and his first wife Victoria Lockwood, were perfectly coordinated on the night. But it was their choice of gowns that really got people talking.
Both sisters opted for off-the-shoulder black sheath dresses, but with different necklines and accessories. Amelia’s gown featured a v-neckline and slim off-the-shoulder sleeves. She completed her look with a glittering diamond choker, matching diamond bracelet, diamond rings, and diamond drop earrings.
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Her twin, meanwhile, wore a velvet gown with a straight neckline and off-the-shoulder sleeves. Eliza also accessorised with an array of diamonds – including a choker, identical bracelet, a diamond ring and diamond cuff earrings – and just like her sister, wore her blonde hair styled up in a sleek bun.
Royal fans were quick to point out similarities between the Spencer girls’ gowns and the infamous ‘revenge dress’ worn by their late aunt, Princess Diana. Style icon Diana stepped out for a gala at the Serpentine Gallery in London in 1994 wearing a fitted, black, off-the-shoulder dress with an asymmetrical hemline and chiffon train that flowed behind her.
The revealing ensemble was unusual for a member of the royal family – but that wasn’t the only reason it made headlines. Diana wore the dress on the same night that then-Prince Charles confessed on national television that he had been unfaithful to her.
Diana had actually commissioned the Christina Stambolian gown in September 1991, before her marriage had completely imploded. During a shopping trip in Stambolian’s boutique, Diana picked up a few pieces and then told the designer, “I want a special dress for a special occasion. It doesn’t matter if it is short or long. It has to be something special.” She also decided it would be black.
Two dressmakers then crafted the hand-stitched gown with a flirty mini train, which would then sit in Diana’s wardrobe unworn for three years. Prior to her appearance at the Serpentine Gallery in 1994, it leaked that the Princess was going to wear Valentino. So instead, she wore the-soon-to-be-notorious revenge dress made by Stambolian.
Royal fashion commentator Elizabeth Holmes told Town & Country that Diana used the dress to both assert herself and her new independence. “Diana was known for wearing pieces that would wow,” she explained.
“She knew how a show-stopping piece could feel to wear — and watch. The revenge dress was both thrilling for royal fans and all but guaranteed her place in the newspaper, where space was finite. Embracing fashion-forward styles helped her get that spot on the front page time and time again.”