Princess Diana
Engagement blouse goes under the hammer
© imago/ZUMA/Keystone
In early 1981, Diana Spencer and Prince Charles got engaged. The blouse that Diana wore in portraits from back then is now being auctioned.
A top that Princess Diana (1961-1997) presented in a 1981 engagement portrait is now part of an auction. It is a soft pink chiffon blouse with a ruffled collar and a large bow. The well-known photographer Lord Snowdon (1930-2017) photographed Diana with it. The outfit is currently for sale through Julien’s Auctions. As the New York Post reports, the garment could fetch up to $200,000 (around 183,000 euros). Other estimates put it at $80,000 to $100,000.
The blouse was designed by designers David, 71, and Elizabeth, 70, Emanuel. They also created Diana’s wedding dress. According to the New York Post report, Lord Snowdon – the husband of Charles’ aunt Princess Margaret (1930-2002) from 1960 to 1978 – is said to have photographed Diana with it for the February 1981 issue of Vogue. At the same time as the publication, the engagement of Diana and Charles was announced.
Princess Diana’s engagement blouse is more than fashion, Darren Julien, President and CEO of Julien’s Auctions is quoted as saying. The garment is “a poignant symbol of love, grace and a timeless moment in history.” The blouse captures the “elegance of a woman who has forever captured hearts around the world,” he added.
Everyone wanted Diana’s blouse
The “Lady Di engagement blouse” is said to have been a sensation in 1981. After the picture was published, according to the New York Post, it was produced for the mass market and quickly sold out.
After the engagement of Prince Charles and Princess Diana was announced in February 1981, the couple married on July 29, 1981 in London. The marriage resulted in two children, Prince William, 41, and Prince Harry, 39. Diana and Charles separated in 1992 and were finally divorced in the summer of 1996. The following year, Diana died after a car accident in Paris.