Princess Diana’s Gown For Sale: Versace Gown Worn By Late British Royal Headed To Auction

A piece of Princess Diana history is up for sale, with a Versace gown she wore for a famous photo shoot going to auction with the bidding starting at $30,000.

The princess wore the gown for a shoot with noted photographer Patrick Demarchelier. Though the photo shoot took place in 1991, the photo would not be seen until years later. Harper’s Bazaar ran the photo in its November 1997 issue as part of a memorial to the royal, who died in a car crash in August of that year.

Now 18 years later the dress is making headlines once again. The Versace gown worn by Princess Diana is up for auction through Julien’s Auctions’ Hollywood Legends sale, with the bidding starting at $30,000.

The dress has quite a bit of history, the auction house explained. This was reportedly the first gown that Gianni Versace designed for Princess Diana.

The auction listing had more details:

The images of Diana wearing the gown were used on the cover of the November 1997 “Harper’s Bazaar Diana A Tribute to a Princess” issue and in “Diana: The Portrait” by Rosalind Coward. The figure-hugging shimmering blue- green silk gown with a décolletage neckline is embellished with gold tone studs and pyramids, and encased faceted glass in shades of blue topaz, aqua marine, and white in a geometric and swirled motif. The interior is silk lined with hand finishing and an Atelier Versace label. Atelier Versace is the Haute Couture line of The House of Versace and indicates one-of-a-kind pieces. The gown was acquired directly from Versace as being worn by Princess Diana and was originally on a hanger that read “Lady Diana.”

The Versace gown is not the only piece of Princess Diana history to go on sale in recent years. Last year five dresses worn by the late British royal went up for auction in Los Angeles as part of a charity fundraiser. Three of the gowns were designed and made by Catherine Walker, Diana’s personal couturier.

The listing ended up being very popular, and the dresses brought in more than $500,000.

Though the Versace gown worn by Princess Diana is up for an initially bidding of $30,000, experts believe it will fetch up to $60,000, and it could go for much, much more. Diana has a number of loyal fans willing to pay almost anything for a piece of her memory, and this was on display last year when a Caroline Charles wool coat dress expected to fetch $20,000 at auction instead sold for $125,000.

[Image via Harper’s Bazaar]