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Princess Diana's Iconic Purple Evening Gown Auctioned for More Than $600,000

Monique Jessen
·3 min read
Princess Diana's Iconic Purple Evening Gown Auctioned for More Than $600,000

One of Princess Diana's most famous dresses just went under the hammer.

The purple evening dress, designed by Victor Edelstein in 1989 and worn several times by Diana during the 1990s, sold at Sotheby's in New York on Friday for $604,800 on Friday — more than five times its pre-auction estimate.

In deep aubergine silk velvet, the strapless dress with its sweetheart neckline and intricate ruching around the bodice features a tulip-shaped skirt and delicate gold diamante and pearl buttons at the back. It was part of the late royal's charity auction of 79 dresses that collectively raised over $3.25 million for five of her favorite charities in 1997. At the time the dress was sold to a private bidder for $24,150.

Princess Diana’s Famous “Infanta”-Style Ball Gown Soars to $604,800 The Victor Edelstein-Designed Dress Was Immortalized by the Princess of Wales in 1997 Vanity Fair Photoshoot by Mario Testino. Courtesy Sotheby's; GERMANY - NOVEMBER 02: Diana, Princess of Wales wears a sapphire and diamond necklace, which was a gift from the Sultan of Oman, and the Spencer Tiara with a dress designed by Victor Edelstein to a banquet in Bonn, Germany (Photo by Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Images)

Courtesy Sotheby's; Tim Graham Photo Library via Getty Princess Diana

RELATED: Kim Kardashian Buys Famous Princess Diana Amethyst Cross Pendant for $197,453 at Auction

Princess Diana’s Famous “Infanta”-Style Ball Gown Soars to $604,800 The Victor Edelstein-Designed Dress Was Immortalized by the Princess of Wales in 1997 Vanity Fair Photoshoot by Mario Testino. Courtesy Sotheby's
Princess Diana’s Famous “Infanta”-Style Ball Gown Soars to $604,800 The Victor Edelstein-Designed Dress Was Immortalized by the Princess of Wales in 1997 Vanity Fair Photoshoot by Mario Testino. Courtesy Sotheby's

Courtesy Sotheby's Princess Diana’s Famous “Infanta” Style Ball Gown Designed by Victor Edelstein

"Princess Diana has long been renowned and celebrated for her timeless sense of style, and this sleek and sophisticated bespoke ball gown, designed by Victor Edelstein, encapsulates Princess Diana's effortless elegance," Cynthia Houlton, Sotheby's Global Head of Fashion and Accessories, said in a statement. "Today's sale of this historic dress is a reminder of Princess Diana's enduring legacy that continues to inspire people all over the world."

Princess Diana’s Famous “Infanta”-Style Ball Gown Soars to $604,800 The Victor Edelstein-Designed Dress Was Immortalized by the Princess of Wales in 1997 Vanity Fair Photoshoot by Mario Testino. Courtesy Sotheby's
Princess Diana’s Famous “Infanta”-Style Ball Gown Soars to $604,800 The Victor Edelstein-Designed Dress Was Immortalized by the Princess of Wales in 1997 Vanity Fair Photoshoot by Mario Testino. Courtesy Sotheby's

Courtesy Sotheby's The back details of Victor Edelstein's iconic ball gown worn by Princess Diana

Diana wore the decadent dress for several milestone moments during the last decade of her life. It was the dress she chose for a royal portrait by Lord Snowdon in 1991, which was later used as inspiration for Douglas Hardinge Anderson's portrait of her which now hangs at the Royal Marsden Hospital, where she served as president for eight years.

Princess Diana’s Famous “Infanta”-Style Ball Gown Soars to $604,800 The Victor Edelstein-Designed Dress Was Immortalized by the Princess of Wales in 1997 Vanity Fair Photoshoot by Mario Testino. Courtesy Sotheby's
Princess Diana’s Famous “Infanta”-Style Ball Gown Soars to $604,800 The Victor Edelstein-Designed Dress Was Immortalized by the Princess of Wales in 1997 Vanity Fair Photoshoot by Mario Testino. Courtesy Sotheby's

Courtesy Sotheby's Victor Edelstein's aubergine purple dress as worn by Princess Diana in the 1990's

In 1997, she chose the dress for a now iconic Vanity Fair photoshoot with Mario Testino. Titled "Diana Reborn," the July issue featured a candid chat with Diana and some of her closest friends on the decision to auction the gowns for charity.

"Nothing gives me more pleasure now than being able to love and help those in our society who are vulnerable," she said in the interview, the portraits of which were the last official pictures of her to be taken before her death in August 1997.

LONDON - NOVEMBER 22: Photographer Mario Testino attends the press view for "Diana, Princess Of Wales By Mario Testino" at Kensington Palace on November 22, 2005 in London, England. The exhibition features photographic images by Testino from Diana's last portrait sitting, five months before her death in Paris in 1997. The event opens this evening with a champagne reception and private view. (Photo by MJ Kim/Getty Images)

MJ Kim/Getty Press View For "Diana, Princess Of Wales By Mario Testino"

Edelstein who seemingly designed the dress with Diana in mind (he drew the outline of a tiara on his original sketch), worked with Diana for many years during the 1980s and 1990s after being recommended to Diana by Vogue editor Anna Harvey. Credited for giving her a more sophisticated look after her divorce from Prince Charles, it was Edelstein who designed Diana's dark blue velvet dress she wore to dance with John Travolta at the White House in 1985.

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Mandatory Credit: Photo by Shutterstock (2662657b) Princess Diana dances with John Travolta White House dinner, Washington DC, America - 09 Nov 1985 Previously unseen photos of Princess Diana dancing with a host of stars at a White House dinner in 1985 have emerged. At the event the late Princess famously showed off her dance moves with Saturday Night Fever king John Travolta. However, now new images reveal that the then 24-year-old royal also took to the dance floor with a number of other famous faces. This includes Clint Eastwood, Tom Selleck and United States President Ronald Reagan. For the dinner Diana wore a now famous Victor Edelstein gown, which sold earlier this year for £240,000.

Shutterstock Princess Diana dancing with John Travolta at the White House in 1985

While the winning bid for the iconic purple dress was anonymous (he or she outbid three others in a battle that lasted four and a half minutes confirms the auction house), Sotheby's also auctioned a piece of Diana's jewelry earlier this month which was purchased by Kim Kardashian at double the pre-auction estimate. The diamond-encrusted amethyst Attallah cross pendant was bought by the reality star for $197,453.