Three Rare, Iconic Princess Diana Day Dresses Are Sold for Nearly $300k at Auction

Three daywear outfits from Princess Diana just went up for sale at London’s Kerry Taylor Auctions, selling for almost $300,000, nearly three times they were originally expected to sell for. Pretty much anything worn by the much-beloved Princess would have brought interest from fans and bidders alike, but these three were apparently particularly special.

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(Image credit: Tim Graham)

By Katherine J. Igoe

published 19 June 2019

in News

“Diana’s daywear is much rarer than her evening wear, which she auctioned a huge tranche off in the late 1990s,” Kerry Taylor of the eponymous auction house explained to the Daily Mail. “Daywear dresses she wore for more formal functions she either gave to friends or charity shops, so they have mostly disappeared. These were very well documented outfits and one of a kind as they were made specifically for her.”

A single collector was selling all three pieces. The auction also saw two outfits from Sarah Ferguson and a very vintage set of silk dresses that Princess Margaret and Queen Elizabeth wore in 1935 (which went for $36,395).

Here are the three Diana outfits:

This was her Catherine Walker outfit during the President of the Republic of Turkey's state visit in 1988 (as well as many other events—it was quite a favorite, apparently). Here it looks coral/orange, but apparently it's a light peach color. It went for about $116,765:

As reported in Us Weekly, three of Princess Diana's iconic day dresses sold at a London auction for nearly $300,000.
The three all come from Diana's public outings in the 1980s, when she was still married to Prince Charles and when Princes Harry and William were still young.
These are the very simple beauty rules that Diana swore by.

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This was an outfit designed by David and Elizabeth Emanuel from a visit to Bahrain with Prince Charles in 1986. The stripes actually have little polka dots, which I think is a lovely touch. It went for about $133,073, the greatest amount of the three:

And this, a Jasper Conran red suit, was the oldest. Diana wore it as she christened the cruise liner Royal Princess in 1984 (the red really pops against her neutral surroundings). It went for roughly $78,474:

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All beautiful and iconic, IMO. Us Weekly has more full-length photos, including of what they look like now.

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.

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