The life and legacy of Princess Diana will be presented in a new exhibition at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum in Simi Valley, California. Opening on November 7, 2026 the show gathers more than 700 original items that belonged to the Princess of Wales and places them beside objects from the archival collections of Ronald Reagan and Nancy Reagan to underline the historical bond between the United Kingdom and the United States.
The collection is a collaboration between the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute (RRPFI) and the Princess Diana Museum created by collector Renae Plant. Plant has long assembled dresses, jewelry, letters and personal effects that until recently were available only via digital presentation. She described the public display as a long-held aspiration: “It’s been my dream for it to be seen in public so people can see her life and legacy up close.”
Scope and duration of the exhibition
The exhibition titled Princess Diana: Love Life Legacy — A Life of Giving will be open through May 31, 2027. Visitors will encounter a mixture of iconic garments, intimate documents and memorabilia acquired from auctions and private sales. The curatorial pairing with the Reagans’ archives intentionally frames Diana’s public role within a wider diplomatic and cultural context, emphasizing the transatlantic relationship between the two nations.
Key garments and objects on display
Among the items on display are several pieces that have become emblematic of Diana’s public image. The show includes the famous black sheep sweater produced by Warm & Wonderful, the designers Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne being credited for the creation. That original sweater resurfaced in an attic decades later and subsequently sold at auction in New York for $1.14 million.
Also featured are the wedding accessories worn on July 29, 1981 including the bridal slippers designed by David Emanuel and Elizabeth Emanuel and handcrafted by master shoemaker Clive Shilton. Those shoes were embellished with 542 sequins and 132 pearls and bear the initials D and C beneath the sole.
The honeymoon ensemble and early royal looks
The exhibition reunites the peach ensemble Diana wore as she departed for her honeymoon on July 29, 1981 made by Bellville Sassoon complete with a feather-detailed hat by milliner John Boyd shoes by Rayne and a coordinating clutch. That hat also reappeared during a royal tour to Australia two years later, illustrating how certain pieces traveled with Diana across official engagements.
Signature eveningwear
One of the most photographed gowns in the exhibition is the blue velvet Victor Edelstein dress that produced the widely circulated image of Diana dancing with John Travolta at a White House gala on November 9, 1985. That gown, often called the Travolta dress was acquired by Kensington Palace in 2019 and joins the exhibit on loan from Historic Royal Palaces.
Other noteworthy pieces and provenance
The show also includes the so-called caring dress by Bellville Sassoon a blue floral-print sheath first worn on January 31, 1988 during Diana’s official visit to Australia; Renae Plant purchased that dress for $520,000. Another item of emotional resonance is a black silk georgette gown by Jacques Azagury that had been intended for a Disney movie premiere in September 1997 but remained unfinished following the tragic accident in the Pont de l’Alma tunnel in Paris on August 31, 1997.
Plant emphasized the importance of assembling objects into a single, tangible narrative: “It’s so incredible to get these pieces back together and to see it come to life after all these years for the public.” The exhibition invites audiences to view both Diana’s public persona and personal artifacts, offering a layered portrait of a figure whose influence continues to resonate across decades.
