Fit For a Princess: Princess Diana’s Gowns Sold for £1 million
If you’ve ever wanted to snag Princess Diana’s elegant style, you could. Well, that is if you would have around £800,000 to spare. A dress collection titled “Fit For a Princess,” showcased the iconic gowns of the revered Princess of Wales and brought in £800,000, or $1.2 million, at a Kerry Taylor auction in London a few days ago. The highest-selling dress, the famous navy and velvet dress worn by Diana in her first joint state visit to a 1985 gala hosted by President Ronald Reagan and in which she famously danced with John Travolta, was sold for £240,000 ($362,000).
The dress was bought by an unidentified British man who purchased the dresses “as a surprise to cheer up his wife,” auctioneer Kerry Taylor was quoted as saying, adding that whomever he purchased the gowns for was a “lucky woman.”
Nine other dresses, including pieces from Diana’s favorite designer, Catherine Walker, came not just from England, but from around the world and from three museums, all sold at the auction.
Princess Diana first sold a few of her dresses after her divorce from Prince Charles to raise money for charity at the suggestion of Prince William. The auction was held just three months before her fatal car crash. Since then, the value of the dresses has increased drastically.
Two gowns, a Catherine Walker pink sequined dress and a black velvet Bruce Oldfield dress, were purchased by the Historic Royal Palaces, adding to their collection of dresses from Princess Diana. The collection will now be on display at the Kensington Palace for the public to view.
