Catherine Walker's solution for the March 1989 tour was the trusty coatdress. With a slim skirt that could be lightly stiffened, a higher neckline than usual,long sleeves, and below the knee hem, it kept a decorous silhouette than only skimmed the body. She said in her autobiography that the colors were "inspired by images of the vegetable-dyed traditional colors of the bedouin. We felt they played beautifully against the heat of the Arabian sands." (page 33) The matching pink and red hat - large brimmed for shade - was a collaborative effort between Diana and Philip Sommerville. She wanted it in the two colors of the dress, but he was at first hesitant about using such strong colors together. He later admitted "it was quite terrific, and I was wrong." ('Diana, the Secrets of Her Style', page 74)

Gulf tours were also difficult for Diana for other reasons. By this time Charles and his friends were terribly jealous of the attention Diana generated. In the Middle East, where women had no place in public life, Diana could be more easily moved into the background to give Charles the spotlight. She was effectively invisible, only appearing with her hosts and husband on a relatively few ceremonial occasions, and her solo engagements were not highly covered. (In fact, so little attention was paid to her that she was able to wear this dress twice, without attracting comment). The relatively short length of the trip was also used to demean her, as James Whitaker in 'Majesty' magazine felt compelled to report that it was due to the fact that "her interest level wavers if she is away too long" (May, 1989)

Diana also wore this dress to the 1989 Garter ceremony, and (right) to Cairo in May 1992 on one of her first solo tours.