A treasure trove of memorabilia belonging to Princess Diana when she was aged just 23 is going on sale at auction today.
They include a dozen dress designs and private letters to her award-winning designer. The correspondence was between the Princess of Wales and her Emmy Award winning dress designer Jacqueline Mills.
“This is a wonderful cache of historical documents that captures a moment in the life of the most famous woman in the world – an icon of fashion and a role model and heroine for countless other women,” said auction house chief Andrew Ewbank.
“What makes this collection so fascinating and poignant is that it gives an insight into Princess Diana’s character and tastes, creating a personal connection with the viewer. “From that perspective alone, this is a must-have for any serious collector.”
Private letters make up part of the collection (
Image:
Ewbank auctioneers / SWNS)
The haul is expected to fetch £6,000 (
Image:
Ewbank auctioneers / SWNS)
The lot also includes two handwritten and signed letters with envelopes from Diana to Jacqueline dated 17th January 1985 and 7th June 1985, and compliment slips.
The collection dates from when the Princess was still just 23, and not long after the birth of Prince Harry. It also includes a series of 12 dress-design ink and watercolour drawings on heavy watercolour paper, created exclusively by Jacqueline for Diana. There are fabric samples attached, and each sketch has been signed by the designer.
The dress was made up for Diana in a turquoise-blue silk chiffon fabric, embroidered with gold sequins. A sample of this fabric is attached to the sketch of the original design.
The auction includes drawings of Diana’s dress designs (
Image:
Ewbank auctioneers / SWNS)
The auction comes days before the anniversary of Diana’s death (
Image:
Ewbank auctioneers / SWNS)
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The toile that was produced from Diana’s chosen design and which she later tried on for the fitting, has not been altered or washed since then. It even shows the original pencil lines where the design needed altering to make it smaller. The items are expected to fetch £4,000-6,000 at auction.
The auction comes just days before the tragic anniversary of Diana’s death. The princess was killed in a car crash in Paris on August 31st 1997.
Meanwhile, Prince Harry has announced his next big trip following his controversial Colombia tour. The duke’s visit to New York in September will coincide with the UN General Assembly High-level Week and Climate Week.
During his stay in the Big Apple, Harry will be advancing several of his patronages and philanthropic initiatives. He’ll be participating in engagements with African Parks, The HALO Trust, The Diana Award, and Travalyst, according to a spokesperson.
He will also be promoting the work of The Archewell Foundation, the nonprofit organisation he co-founded with Meghan. Despite having undertaken two high-profile trips this year with Meghan – to Nigeria in May and Colombia earlier this month – Harry’s upcoming journey will be a solo venture, focusing on causes dear to him.
