Diana's connection with the Red Cross would be long and circuitous. She became patron of the British Red Cross Youth in 1983 and vice-president of the British Red Cross in 1993 , but when it was one of hundreds of charities she resigned from in 1996 following her divorce, there was much negative coverage. Her detractors claimed it was some kind of selfish ploy that only devastated the charities involved, but Mike Whitlam, Director General of the British Red Cross, had a different perspective, saying that as far back as 1991 she had expressed interest to him of wanting to do more, and perhaps on an international level. With the loss of her royal duties and position she could concentrate on devoting more time and focus, especially to international causes that perhaps she could not have taken on while a member of the royal family because of political issues. She found such a cause in her last major charitable campaign, when he asked her to join the Red Cross in their work against landmines.

This gown sold for $36,800, and was one of three purchased for the Mejiro Fashion and Art College in Tokyo . They are kept in a climate controlled room and displayed rarely and selectively. Because of Kensington Palace's reputation in the protection of historical clothing, however, the college had no qualms about loaning the gowns to them for their 2017 "Diana: Her Fashion Story" exhibit.