Nearly two decades after the tragic death of Princess Diana, people around the world are still captivated by her classic, elegant style.
Now, we have a new, rare glimpse at some of the late princess’s most iconic outfits. Three dresses once worn by Princess Diana were recently sold by Kerry Taylor Auctions for more than $86,000 combined.
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The most stunning piece in the trio is a deep purple, crushed velvet evening gown, which Princess Diana wore to a dinner party hosted by the president of Portugal in February 1987.
The princess accessorized the dramatic, off-the-shoulder dress with the Spencer family tiara, the same one she wore on her wedding day. The gown, custom-made by celebrity designer Bruce Oldfield, fetched about $71,000 at this week’s auction.
The other two, more informal dresses in the auction have an interesting backstory. In the 1980s, a mother and daughter stumbled upon them at a second-hand store while shopping for ordinary clothes.
They were in for a surprise when they were “told in confidence by the shop keeper that the clothes had been consigned by a relative of Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York,” according to Kerry Taylor Auctions.
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The unnamed mother and daughter held onto both dresses for about two decades before selling them at auction this week.
The more casual piece of the two is a brown tartan day dress with an ivory collar and cuffs, belted with a matching tartan tie.
Princess Diana wore the woolen dress to the Braemar Highland Games in Scotland in 1982. The dress fetched about $8,700 at this week's auction.
The other piece is a turquoise silk dress with a matching long-sleeved silk jacket.
Princess Diana wore the ensemble during a royal tour of New Zealand in 1983.
The turquoise dress and jacket sold for about $6,650 at auction this week, thousands more than the expected sale price.
Auctioneer Kerry Taylor had predicted the ensemble wouldn’t command a high price because the woman who bought the outfit in the ‘80s actually wore it — and not only wore it, but also had it altered and spilled champagne on it during a wedding, Taylor told The Telegraph.
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The fact that the imperfect dress still fetched more than $6,000 speaks to the ongoing demand and affection for anything connected to the late Princess of Wales.
“These dresses are poignant reminders of a much-loved philanthropic princess who was as beautiful inside as out,” the auction house said in a release.