How Diana’s strapless Murray Arbied gown became one of her most iconic dresses
A glamorous gown worn three times by Princess Diana is set to go under the hammer in California.
The Murray Arbied midnight blue tulle gown Diana wore in 1986 is estimated to fetch more than £315,000 – and is one of the fashion icon’s most incredible gowns.
The strapless dress was worn by the Princess at a performance of ‘Phantom of the Opera’ – the same theatre where she’s rumoured to have sung to Charles onstage for a privately filmed video.
It’s part of a collection of the royal’s gowns, accessories, and keepsakes set to be auctioned off – thought to be the most extensive collection of her personal belongings since she sold dozens of dresses during a New York charity auction in 1997, according to Julien’s Auctions.
A pair of gowns sold during that auction, two months before her death, top the upcoming sale on June 27 at The Peninsula Beverly Hills in Los Angeles.
Another magenta silk and lace off-the-shoulder evening dress designed by Victor Edelstein, which Diana wore in London and Germany in 1987, will also fetch more than £315,000.
Martin Nolan, co-founder and executive director of Julien’s Auctions, said: ‘People will know that name because Victor Edelstein also designed the very famous navy blue dress Diana wore when she danced with John Travolta at the White House in 1985.’
A pink floral silk shirt dress designed by Walker, which Diana wore to Prince William’s sports day at Richmond Stadium in 1988 as well as leaving Prince Harry’s school in Notting Hill in 1992, has a top estimate of £158,000.
The sale comes after a Jacques Azagury-designed dress worn by Diana in Italy in 1985 set a new world record for the most expensive dress worn by the royal at auction, selling for more than one million dollars in December.
After that auction, Mr Nolan told PA that ‘the phones were ringing’ as people realised ‘Diana was highly collectable, reaching record prices’.
He added: ‘Even one of her friends from school, (one of) her lifelong friends that Diana used to give her shoes, bags and dresses to when she finished with them, she came to us, and she said “I’d love to sell these items because I know that Diana would want these items to go to good causes,” Mr Nolan said.
The upcoming sale features more than 200 items from members of the royal family.
But Princess Diana will take centre stage as more than 50 items of hers – including handwritten notes and cards – will be sold.
Many of the letters are penned to Maud Pendrey, a former housekeeper at the Spencer family home at the Althorp Estate in Northamptonshire, ‘where Diana grew up’.
Mr Nolan added: ‘She’s writing to Mrs Pendrey about the honeymoon (being) a huge success and pregnant with William, and then William was born and then pregnant with Harry and Harry was born.
‘We sort of forget that she was truly happy in her marriage in those early days, and these letters tell us that, so it’s an important part of our royal history as well.’
The auction, Princess Diana’s Elegance & A Royal Collection, will be held at The Peninsula Beverly Hills on June 27.
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