The Fascinating History of Princess Diana's Record-Selling Dress
The garment was recently auctioned off for a mind-blowing sum.
Summary
- The end of The Crown has rekindled public interest in Princess Diana.
- Diana's recently sold dress is one of the late royal's most exquisite looks.
- Lady Di wore it in public at least twice.
Just a few days ago, Netflix's most popular drama series, The Crown, came to an end. For six seasons, the show revolved around the British royal family, albeit a fictionalized version of it, and offered a closer look at the family drama of the Windsors. Season 6, for example, focused largely on the tragic death of Princess Diana and its impact on the royal family. And the show only proved that Lady Di remains one of the most beloved public figures in history.
With that in mind, it's no surprise that the auction of Princess Diana's dress made headlines when the item sold for a whopping $1,143,000 on Sunday. Estimated at a high of $200,000, it wasn't the most elegant or impressive piece of Diana's clothing to be auctioned. But it has great sentimental value and a fascinating history that makes it truly priceless.
The Dress
Previously on display at Kensington Palace, the record-breaking dress was created by Jacques Azagury, a Moroccan-British designer whom Princess Diana met at the London Design Trade Show, which she visited with then British Vogue fashion editor Anna Harvey. The dress was reportedly on display at the event and Lady Di paid a visit to Azagury's London studio some time later to purchase it.
The dress consists of a black velvet bodice embroidered with royal blue stars in metallic thread, and a ballerina-style organza skirt in the same shade, tied with a bow. The bodice has shoulder pads, which were fashionable at the time.
Princess Diana and the Dress
Although the history of this dress isn't as exciting as that of Lady Di's other clothing and accessories, she wore it on at least two public occasions. Princess Diana was photographed wearing the mesmerizing garment during her official tour of Italy with Prince Charles in 1985. The beloved royal was then spotted wearing the gown at a formal dinner hosted by the mayor of Florence.
The second public outing in the cosmic gown came a year later during the royal couple's other foreign trip – to Canada in 1986. Princess Diana wore the gown to a performance by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra at Vancouver's Orpheum Theatre.
Apart from these two occasions, there is no public record of Lady Di wearing the dress. Hopefully it will bring joy to its new owner and we'll see the beautiful garment in the future, whoever has it.