Princess Diana dress smashes auction record at $1.1 million

By 
 December 21, 2023

The world is still in love with Princess Diana, so much so that one of her evening gowns just sold at auction for a whopping $1.1 million. 

The blue-and-black Jacques Azagury ballerina-length evening dress is the most expensive Princess Diana dress ever sold.

The dress, which, features a black velvet bodice with puffy sleeves and an embroidered star pattern, was worn by Diana in Florence, Italy in 1985 and again in Vancouver in 1986.

Princess Diana dress sets record

The dress sold for 11 times the original estimate of $100,000 at an auction house in Los Angeles.

Take that, Hunter Biden!

The dress came paired with a matching illustration, Julien's Auctions said.

"The dress with padded shoulder pads features a black velvet bodice with embroidered stars in metallic thread made from Jakob Schlaepher fabric with a two-tier royal blue organza skirt with a sash and bow. The ballerina skirt was the perfect nod to Diana's love of dance and her being a patron of The English National Ballet," the auction house said.

Azagury told People that Diana would have been pleased with the sale.

"It's almost as valuable as an important piece of art really because it represents the time," Azagury said. "That one dress speaks to so much of what was happening at the time; it was the '80s, the big shoulders and it was also the start of the story of Diana."

Diana continues to fascinate

The dress beat a previous record that was set when Diana's purple evening dress by designer Victor Edelstein sold for $604,800.

Despite her reputation as the "people's princess," Diana's wardrobe was still definitely outside the normal household budget.

A blush-pink chiffon blouse that Diana wore for her 1981 engagement photo with Charles - now King Charles - also sold for $381,000 at the same auction - four times the original estimate.

To this day, Diana's style continues to be imitated by countless women including Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle.

Diana's beauty, sparking personality, and iconic outfits made her an idol to women everywhere. The infidelity of her husband also made Diana a sympathetic figure, and her accessibility made her a favorite with the public.

The world's fascination with Diana shows no sign of dying out anytime soon, even as the British Royal family enters a new chapter of history.

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