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.

“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 (opens in new tab). “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 (opens in new tab).
• 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 (opens in new tab).

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:

All beautiful and iconic, IMO. Us Weekly (opens in new tab) has more full-length photos, including of what they look like now.

For more stories like this, including celebrity news, beauty and fashion advice, savvy political commentary, and fascinating features, sign up for the Marie Claire newsletter.

SUBSCRIBE HERE (opens in new tab)