Diana's first official event as a future princess was a charity fundraiser. She selected a divine taffeta gown created by her wedding dress designers, the Emanuels, without realizing she had committed two royal faux pas, for which she was roundly criticized. The first was that she chose a black dress, as she'd not been informed that royal women didn't really wear black, other than for funerals and Remembrance ceremonies. The second is that the neckline was seen as too revealing for a future member of the royal family.
Diana later referred to the night as "terrifying" and "a horrendous occasion," telling her biographer Andrew Morton the reason behind her choice: "Black was the smartest color you could possibly have at the age of 19. It was a real grown-up dress."
