Princess Diana, the beloved and influential member of the British royal family, left an indelible mark not only through her humanitarian work but also through her remarkable sense of style. As evidenced by Julien’s Auctions June 26 sale titled “Princess Diana’s Style and A Royal Collection,” Diana Spencer’s memorabilia remain in high demand nearly three decades after her passing. The $5 million sale was held at The Peninsula Beverly Hills and featured clothing, shoes, handbags, and hats worn by the Princess of Wales, as well as fashion illustrations, signed photographs, handwritten letters, wedding ephemera, and more. Over 200 of Diana’s items were sold at the auction, in addition to couture garments from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, pieces that belonged to Queen Elizabeth II, the Queen Mother, and precious artifacts dating back to the 19th and early 20th centuries.
Of the 325 lots, the 1988 Bellville Sassoon floral day dress, known as the “caring dress,” was the most anticipated, selling for $520,000. The blue crepe-de-chine knee-length dress is decorated with pastel flowers in shades of pink, yellow, and blue, with a gathering at the waistline.
“She was seen photographed in it in Brazil when she went to a children’s hospital,” Michael Amato, a fashion specialist at Julien’s, told the Courier. “She wore it because she loved it, and it was very comforting because kids actually felt a little less intimidated because it was so soft and tactile.” The princess was photographed wearing the dress in public at least seven times, often during official visits to hospitals.
Renae Plant, an Australian native and founder and curator of The Princess Diana Museum, submitted the winning bid for the caring dress. Plant told People magazine that she and her husband took out a fourth mortgage on their home to get the dress.
Other standout pieces in the auction included a 1981 John Boyd pink straw archer-style hat, worn for her honeymoon send-off in 1981, and a 1986 Catherine Walker evening gown with cream silk crepe embroidered falcons, made custom for her to wear during the 1986 Gulf Tour. The hat went for $26,000, and the falcon dress for $455,000.
According to Beverly Hills-based Julien’s Auctions, this marked the largest collection of her iconic wardrobe ever assembled for auction. A portion of the sales from Princess Diana items will benefit Muscular Dystrophy UK.
Last December, Princess Diana’s 1985 Jacques Azagury evening dress made history at the Julien’s Auctions and Turner Classic Movies’ Hollywood Legends sale, going for $1,148,080.
