Princess Diana gowns star in ‘largest’ auction of late royal’s fashion
Princess Diana pictured during a tour of the Gulf in 1989. Some of her most recognizable pieces are going to auction in June.
By Oscar Holland, CNN
(CNN) — Princess Diana’s ski suit, a Dior handbag given to her by France’s first lady and the floral dress she wore to visit children in hospital are among dozens of items from the late royal’s wardrobe headed to auction this month.
Featuring over 100 pieces belonging to the former Princess of Wales — including hats, handbags and shoes, as well as sketches and handwritten letters — the sale has been described by Julien’s Auctions the “largest collection” of the royal’s fashion ever to go under the hammer.
Titled “Princess Diana’s Style & A Royal Collection,” the auction is accepting online bids ahead of a live sale at The Peninsula in Beverly Hills, California later this month.
The highest estimates belong to two dresses: A floral number Diana sported on several occasions between 1988 and 1992, including during an official visit to Spain, and a cream silk Catherine Walker evening gown the Princess of Wales wore during her 1986 tour of the Gulf. Both are expected to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000, according to the auction house.
The former dress was designed by the high-end British salon Bellville Sassoon, whose owner David Sassoon later revealed the princess referred to it as her “caring dress,” because its bright colors put sick children at ease during hospital visits.
Other big-ticket dresses include a yellow floral Bruce Oldfield two-piece, a blue sleeveless shift dress by her close friend Gianni Versace and a black taffeta evening gown that she wore to an event in London in 1981 — her first official appearance since the announcement of her engagement to then-Prince Charles.
The latter gown’s designer Elizabeth Emanuel, who went on to co-create Diana’s wedding gown, said in an press release that she offered up archival items and sketches so they could be “loved and appreciated once again by those who will never forget those golden days when Diana was our Queen of Hearts.”
Other notable lots include a lambskin Dior handbag given to Diana by former French first lady, Bernadette Chirac, and the peach-colored straw archer hat she wore for her honeymoon send-off in 1981.
While many of items were worn on formal occasions, others demonstrate Diana’s quintessential take on casual ‘80s and ‘90s style, including a scarlet nylon ski suit and an oversized sweatshirt bearing the logo of the British Lung Foundation (with top estimates of $50,000 and $20,000, respectively).
Diana’s fashion has frequently commanded large sums at auction — even during her lifetime. In 1997, she put almost 80 dresses up for sale via Christie’s, raising over $3.2 million for cancer and AIDS research. The current auction record for a one of her outfits was set at Julien’s Auctions in 2023, when the black-and-blue Jacques Azagury gown she wore to at least two public engagements in the mid-1980s sold for $1.14 million
As well as private viewings in New York, London and Los Angeles, a selection of Diana’s wardrobe items from this month’s sale are currently being exhibited at the Museum of Style Icons in Newbridge, Ireland.
The auction also includes items belonging to members of the British Royal Family, including the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother, with some of the pieces dating from the 19th century. A portion of the auction’s proceeds will go to the British charity Muscular Dystrophy UK, the auction house said.
“Princess Diana’s legacy lives on not only through her humanitarian work but also in the timeless elegance of her style, which continues to inspire the world,” said Julien’s Auctions’ co-founder and executive director, Martin Nolan, in a press release.
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