A historic item of clothing worn by Princess Diana as she emerged into the royal spotlight will hit the auction block this December.
The peach blouse was worn for her 1981 engagement photo session with Prince Charles.
An American auction house is listing the David & Elizabeth Emanuel-designed top as a rare item of royal memorabilia.
The Princess, born Lady Diana Spencer, personally selected the piece from the designers who went on to make her wedding gown.
Diana was much loved. Here, in 1992, she visits South Shields. Image: Newcastle Libraries.
Photographer Anthony Armstrong-Jones took the images. Showing a smiling young woman, alongside Prince Charles, they are iconic images.
Their marriage subsequently failed and Diana died in a Paris car crash.
She is almost certainly the most celebrated and most collected of the modern British royals.
Diana was a fashion icon.
Clothing connected to her is especially collectible.
This piece, with its ribbon collar, was made from a damaged dress by the Emanuels.
“When she saw our blouse on the rack she fell in love with it,” Elizabeth Emanuel wrote.
The estimate for the blouse is $80-100K, with an opening bid of $20K.
Interest in Diana shows no sign of waning. Her sons, William and Harry, are both popular public figures in their own way. The Netflix show The Crown has recently told her story.
In 2023 three evening gowns owned by Diana attracted $1.62 million. A simple black sheep knitted sweater was worth more than $1.1 million at a Sotheby’s sale September.
