49 photos that trace Princess Diana's style evolution from '80s ingenue to the people's princess

The late royal still provides wardrobe inspiration for many to this day

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  Lady Diana Spencer, in slouchy boots and a dark coat, and Camilla Parker-Bowles at Ludlow Races on October 24, 1980 in England, UK. Getty Images

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  Lady Diana Spencer, in a shirt and knitted cardigan, leaves her flat at Coleherne Court in Earl's Court, London, on November 12, 1980. Getty Images

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  Lady Diana Spencer, in a rollneck jumper and pinstriped skirt, in London, England, on November 12, 1980. Getty Images

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  Lady Diana Spencer, in pearls and a cardigan, in London, England, on November 13, 1980. Getty Images

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  Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer, in Cojana, pose on the day their engagement was announced in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in London, England, on February 24, 1981. EPA

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, in Catherine Walker, at a banquet given at Claridge's hotel for King Khalid of Saudi Arabia, on June 11, 1981. Getty Images

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  Prince Charles and Princess Diana, wearing a gown by Elizabeth and David Emanuel, stand on the balcony of Buckingham Palace in London, England, following their wedding at St Paul's Cathedral on June 29, 1981. Reuters

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  Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, in Caroline Charles, at Caernarvon Castle during an official tour of Wales on October 27, 1981. Getty Images

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  Princess Diana of Wales, wearing Caroline Charles, in Carmarthen, Wales, on October 29, 1981. Getty Images

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  Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Bellville Sassoon, at 11 Downing Street, the official residence of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, on February 2, 1982. Getty Images

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  Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, in Catherine Walker, at Westminster Abbey, London, on February 28, 1982. Getty Images

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Belville Sassoon, at a Royal Gala performance at Barbican Arts Centre in London, on March 4, 1982. Getty Images

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, in Bellville Sassoon, at Aintree racecourse for the Grand National, on April 3, 1982. Getty Images

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  Prince Charles and Princess Diana, in Catherine Walker, take home their son, Prince William, from St Mary's Hospital in London, England, on June 22, 1982. AP

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  Australian Prime Minister Bob Hawke with his wife Hazel, and the Prince and Princess of Wales, wearing a blue dress with matching hat, in front of Government House in Canberra, Australia, on March 24, 1983. Getty Images

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  Princess Diana, wearing Catherine Walker, and Prince Charles watch an official event during their first royal Australian tour in Newcastle, Australia, on March 29, 1983. Getty Images

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  Roger Moore and his wife Luisa meet Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Hachi, at a premiere at the Odeon Leicester Square in London, England, on June 6, 1983. Getty Images

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, in velvet, and Prince Charles in Scotland, UK, on September 5, 1983. Getty Images

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  Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, in a belted wool tunic, with their son, Prince William, on December 14, 1983. Getty Images

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, in velvet, at the British Embassy in Oslo, Norway, on February 12, 1984. Getty Images

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Jan van Velden, with Crown Prince Harald of Norway at a performance by the London City Ballet in Oslo, Norway, on February 13, 1984. Getty Images

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, in a white tux jacket, with Phil Collins of Genesis at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, UK, on March 2, 1984. Getty Images

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  Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, in a drop-waisted dress, at Cirencester Polo Club after a match on July 2, 1984. Getty Images

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  Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Jasper, leave the Lindo Wing of St Mary's Hospital with their son, Prince Harry, in London, UK, on September 16, 1984. Getty Images

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Caroline Charles, during a visit to Bridgend, Wales, on January 29, 1985. Getty Images

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Caroline Charles with a hat by John Boyd, visits Nottingham, England, on March 7, 1985. Getty Images

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  Princess Anne, Princess Diana, in Emanuel, and the Queen Mother at the premiere of 'A Passage to India' in London, England, on March 18, 1985. Getty Images

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  Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Bruce Oldfield, in Rome, Italy, on April 27, 1985. Getty Images

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  Princess Diana, wearing Victor Edelstein, dances with John Travolta at the White House in Washington, DC, on November 9, 1985. Getty Images

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  Princess Diana, in an off-shoulder gown, and Prince Charles at the Ajuda palace in Lisbon, Portugal, on February 12, 1986. Reuters

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  Prince Charles and Princess Diana, in a dotted midi dress, are welcomed by Japan's Crown Prince Akihito and Crown Princess Michiko in Tokyo, Japan, on May 10, 1986. EPA

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  Princess Diana, in Catherine Walker, at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 15, 1987. EPA

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  Sheikh Zayed with Prince Charles, Princess Diana, in Catherine Walker, and Zaki Nusseibeh in Abu Dhabi on March 14, 1989. Courtesy Zaki Nusseibeh / Akkasah Centre for Photography

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  Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing Catherine Walker, attend a dinner at the parliament buildings in Budapest, Hungary, on May 7, 1990. Getty Images

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, in Catherine Walker, and Prince Charles sit in a carriage in Bugac, Hungary, on May 9, 1990. EPA

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, in Catherine Walker, outside the Taj Mahal in Agra, India, on February 11, 1992. Getty Images

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  The Queen Mother, Princess Diana, in a pink blazer and polka-dot dress, and Prince Harry at Clarence House in London, England, on August 4, 1992. EPA

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, in a velvet and lace dress, attends Paul McCartney's oratorio 'Liverpool' in Lille, France, on November 15, 1992. AFP

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  Princess Diana, in a blue blazer and white skirt, meets President Robert Mugabe at State House in Harare, Zimbabwe on July 10, 1993. Shutterstock

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  Princess Diana, in a navy jacket, at the British Formula One Grand Prix held on July 10, 1994 at Silverstone, England. Getty Images

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, wearing a Mansfield coat, Prince Charles, Prince Harry and Prince Edward attend the Christmas Day service at St Mary Magdalene Church in Sandringham, England, on December 25, 1994. Getty Images

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, in a blue skirt suit, and Prince Harry attend the Heads of State Victory in Europe Remembrance Service in London, England, on May 7, 1995. Getty Images

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, in Catherine Walker, attends a dinner hosted by 'Vanity Fair' magazine at the Serpentine Gallery in London, England, on June 27, 1995. Getty Images

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, in a sequin-embellished black dress, with Henry Kissinger and Colin Powell at the 41st annual United Cerebral Palsy Awards on December 11, 1995 in New York City, US. Getty Images

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  Princess Diana, in a lilac shift dress, visits the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney, Australia, on November 1, 1996. Getty Images

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, in a white skirt suit, arrives at the Sacred Heart Hospice in Sydney, Australia, on November 2, 1996. Getty Images

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  Princess Diana, in a buttoned white dress, arrives at a Hindu temple in London, England, on June 6, 1997. EPA

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  Diana, Princess of Wales, in Jacques Azagury, arrives at the Tate Gallery in London, England, on July 1, 1997. EPA

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  Princess Diana, in black jeans, leaves the house of land mine victim Mirzeta Gabelic in Sarajevo, Bosnia, on August 10, 1997. EPA

It has been 40 years since she was first thrust into the public eye and yet Diana, Princess of Wales, is as much a style icon today as she was back then.

The late royal, born Lady Diana Spencer, rose to fame in 1980 as the love interest of Prince Charles, the eldest child of Queen Elizabeth II.

The next-in-line to the British throne and the former nursery teacher's assistant became engaged in 1981, marrying later that same year. However, after welcoming their sons William and Harry, the relationship soured, with the two divorcing officially in 1996, just one year before Diana's tragic death in a car crash in Paris.

Now, more than 20 years after her death, the princess's innate sense of style is in the spotlight once more, as she is welcomed into the royal family as part of hit Netflix biopic, The Crown.

The show, which charts Queen Elizabeth II's long-standing reign, features newcomer Emma Corrin as Lady Diana Spencer in season four, which has just landed on the streaming platform.

Here, as Diana's most famous outfits are reimagined for the small screen, we take a look back through her sartorial history to discover why she became known as a trendsetter as well as a philanthropist and the people's princess.

Scroll through the gallery above to see more images of Diana, Princess of Wales through the years.