An evening dress worn by the late Princess Diana has sold for $US1.1 million ($1.4 million), 11 times its estimate, breaking the record price for one of her gowns going under the hammer, Los Angeles-based Julien's Auctions said.
Key points:
- An LA auction set a record for most expensive sale of a piece of clothing owned by Princess Diana
- The dress sold for 11 times the estimated price
- It is part of a four-day sale event that includes costumes from several Hollywood films
Diana first wore the black and blue ballerina-length evening dress, by designer Jacques Azagury, in Florence in 1985.
She was also photographed in it a year later on a visit to Vancouver, the auction house said.
The dress, along with a matching illustration, sold for $US1,148,080, Julien's Auctions said on Sunday, after listing it with an estimate of $US100,000 — $US200,000 ($148,532-$297,064).
"Julien's now holds the new world record for most expensive dress worn by Princess Diana sold at auction," it said in a statement.
The previous auction record for a piece of clothing owned by the late princess was her iconic wool sheep print jumper which sold for $US604,800 ($898,692) earlier this year.
The dress is made up of a long black velvet bodice embroidered with blue stars and a two-tier blue organza skirt adorned with a sash and bow.
It was sold as part of the four-day "Hollywood Legends" sale by Julien's Auctions and Turner Classic Movies (TCM), which featured a range of memorabilia.
A pink chiffon blouse Diana wore for her 1981 engagement portrait to then-Prince Charles by Lord Snowdon sold for $US381,000 ($566,367).
The blouse, by David and Elizabeth Emanuel who went on to design Diana's wedding dress, also exceeded its estimated sale price.
Other items in the auction include an animatronic model of the head of E.T. The Extraterrestrial and a robe from the movie The Big Lebowski.
Reuters