Bellville Sasson Black Watch Tartan Dress

fits Franklin Mint Diana Portrait Doll

Diana always tried to pay tribute to the places she visited, and it had almost become a cliche for her to wear tartan plaid every time she went to Scotland. This wool dress by David Sassoon was in that vein. In the Black Watch tartan, it took it's design inspiration from a traditional kilt outfit, with the long bodice with lace collar and cuffs evoking the jacket and lace jabot of a formal kilt, and of course the pleated skirt.

This is another outfit from which Diana got a lot of use over the next several years. It was worn initially (right) in August 1987 for the Bute Highland Games in Rothesay, of which Charles was Chieftan that year - while in Scotland the Wales were known as the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay, and for the occasion they arrived on one of the last voyages of the frigate HMS Rothesay. It had two wearings the next month - on September 7 Diana wore it on a visit to an Edinburgh drug treatment facility, and two weeks later to the first Festival of National Parks at Chatsworth. A year later she wore it to the Braemar games (left) with a hat reportedly by Freddie Fox, and in October 1989 on a day visit to Aberdeen.

This dress was later displayed at the Fashion Museum in Bath in 2014 as part of their exhibition of the Belville Sassoon archives, along with Sassoon's sketch (below).



This recreation for the Franklin Mint vinyl People’s Princess Doll is in a blue and green cotton blend Black Watch woven tartan. It features ruffled lace collar and cuffs, as well as small gold 'buttons' on the front and cuffs. Bodice is fully lined in white to prevent staining. Includes black hat. All earrings are from the Franklin Mint and the shoes from their 'Travolta' gown outfit.

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