Princess Diana’s iconic ballerina-length evening dress, designed by Jacques Azagury, made headlines last year when it sold at auction for a staggering $1,148,080 (£904,262). Now, an upcoming auction promises to surpass that success, with over 140 items once belonging to the late Princess Diana up for bid at the Princess Diana Style and Royal Collection auction in Beverly Hills.
In this week’s episode of A Right Royal Podcast, recorded during an exclusive preview at the Peninsula Hotel in London, Martin Nolan, the Executive Producer and co-creator of Julien’s Auctions, discussed the highly anticipated event. He admitted that while he doesn’t know the identity of the winning bidders, he believes that Princes William and Harry, or their representatives, may have secretly bid on some of their mother’s belongings.
“I would expect that they are tempted and expect that they do and expect they have representatives who buy on their behalf,” Nolan said. “And that’s understandable. I would too.”
Nolan went on to mention some of the items that may hold sentimental value for Diana’s sons, such as the iconic HEAD ski suit and photographs of her, as well as the shoes she wore during a memorable visit to the dinosaur exhibition at the Museum of Natural History. “You know, like all of those, they’re memories for them, it’s their mum, she’s the most famous person in the world. Of course, they would love to own some of these and preserve them for their own memories,” Nolan added.
As excitement builds for the auction, Nolan also shared his thoughts on the meticulous preparation involved in bringing the collection to auction. He revealed his personal favorite among the 325 items, which will be on display at The Peninsula Beverly Hills on June 26.
In addition to the auction details, Jacques Azagury, the designer behind Diana’s iconic dress, reminisced about their final fitting together, which took place just two days before Diana’s tragic trip to Paris. Azagury also explained why the dress, originally intended for a September event, was kept a secret for so many years.
