A Dress Worn By The Late Princess Diana Surged Past Expectations At Auction And Sold For Over $1 Million

A dress worn by Diana, Princess of Wales during her time as an English royal recently shattered expert predictions when it was sold for almost 12 times its estimated price in a late December auction. Julien's Auctions, a well-respected auctioneer of Hollywood memorabilia, listed the dress at its annual Legends Auction, setting off a fierce bidding war that didn't stop until a final bid of $1.15 million. 

The final hammer price nearly doubles the $604,800 paid in January for a Victor Edelstein velvet gown worn by the princess in 1991. It also surpassed the $1.1 million record price for Diana's black sheep sweater, which makes the dress the single most expensive piece of Diana's clothing ever sold. The high price speaks volumes about Diana's lasting impact as a member of the royal family and a fashion icon.

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A Royal Wedding Like No Other And A Global Icon

People born into today's relentless 24/7 media cycle are accustomed to wall-to-wall coverage of global events by every news outlet in the business. This wasn't the case when Diana Spencer wed Prince Charles to become the Princess of Wales in 1981. An estimated 600,000 people crowded the streets of London to catch a glimpse of the procession while another 750 million people watched worldwide. From that moment, Diana became a media phenomenon.

Everything about Diana, who was only 20 at the time of her wedding, became an obsession for the media. This is especially true of her fashion, with the world's most famous designers tripping over themselves to style the young princess. They all knew millions of people would see Diana wearing anything they designed in the English tabloids and, more importantly, fly off the shelves of posh department stores.

An Amazing Evening Gown

Fashion designer Jaques Azagury was fortunate to work with Diana, and the dress sold by Julien's is one of his creations. The striking gown features a black velvet, ballerina-style top adorned with blue stars that accentuate a matching blue skirt. The look was completed with a gorgeous bow and sash. The dress was first worn by Diana on a trip she took to Florence, Italy, with Prince Charles in 1985.

Part Of A Charitable Tradition

Diana had two sons, William and Harry, with Prince Charles before they divorced over rumors of infidelity with Camilla Parker Bowles, whom the Prince would later marry. However, she remained an icon after the divorce and became known for philanthropy before she died in a car accident in 1997. That is how this particular Azagury gown first came up for sale.

It was originally part of a charity sale by Christie’s New York featuring Diana's dresses. That first sale netted $26,450, and the winning bidder was Time-Life Magazine, which donated it to the New-York Historical Society in 2015. The name of the winning bidder was not released, although they have indicated plans to create an exhibit with this dress and other similar items at an undetermined date in the future.

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