Diana dresses raise over $1.6m at London sale
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A staff member poses with a Victor Edelstein evening gown (C) worn by Britain's Princess Diana for the State Dinner at the White House in 1985, when Princess Diana danced with John Travolta, at the Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013. Ten dresses owned by Princess Diana, including the one worn when she danced with actor John Travolta at a White House dinner, sold for £862,800 (S$1.6m) at a London auction on Tuesday. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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A picture shows a Catherine Walker pink sequined ivory crepe gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana during a visit to Brazil in 1991 displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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A picture shows a Victor Edelstein evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana for the State Dinner at the White House in 1985, when Princess Diana danced with John Travolta, at the Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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Catherine Walker evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana for a Vanity Fair photo-shoot with Mario Testino in 1997 is displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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A Catherine Walker evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana for a State Visit to Austria in 1989 is displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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A Zandra Rhodes cocktail dress worn by Britain's Princess Diana to the Birthright benefit concert in 1987 is displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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A Catherine Walker evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana during a State Visit to Australia in 1985 is displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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A Victor Edelstein evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana for private entertaining in 1985 is displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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A Bruce Oldfield evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana for the opening night of Les Miserables in 1985 is displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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Kerry Taylor speaks to members of the media as she stands in front of a Catherine Walker evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana for the State visit to Austria in 1989 at the Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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Dresses worn by Britain's Princess Diana (L-R) a Victor Edelstein evening gown worn for private entertaining in 1985, a Catherine Walker evening gown worn during a State Visit to Australia in 1985, a Catherine Walker pink sequined ivory crepe gown worn during a visit to Brazil in 1991, a Victor Edelstein evening gown worn for the State Dinner at the White House in 1985, a Catherine Walker evening gown worn for a State Visit to Austria in 1989, a Catherine Walker evening gown worn for a Vanity Fair photo-shoot with Mario Testino in 1997 and a Zandra Rhodes cocktail dress worn by Britain's Princess Diana to the Birthright benefit concert in 1987 are displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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An assistant poses with a Catherine Walker tailcoat worn by Britain's Princess Diana for the State visit to Korea in 1992 at the Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
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An assistant poses with a Catherine Walker evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana for the State visit to India in 1992 at the Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
A staff member poses with a Victor Edelstein evening gown (C) worn by Britain's Princess Diana for the State Dinner at the White House in 1985, when Princess Diana danced with John Travolta, at the Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013. Ten dresses owned by Princess Diana, including the one worn when she danced with actor John Travolta at a White House dinner, sold for £862,800 (S$1.6m) at a London auction on Tuesday. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
A picture shows a Catherine Walker pink sequined ivory crepe gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana during a visit to Brazil in 1991 displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
A picture shows a Victor Edelstein evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana for the State Dinner at the White House in 1985, when Princess Diana danced with John Travolta, at the Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
Catherine Walker evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana for a Vanity Fair photo-shoot with Mario Testino in 1997 is displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
A Catherine Walker evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana for a State Visit to Austria in 1989 is displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
A Zandra Rhodes cocktail dress worn by Britain's Princess Diana to the Birthright benefit concert in 1987 is displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
A Catherine Walker evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana during a State Visit to Australia in 1985 is displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
A Victor Edelstein evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana for private entertaining in 1985 is displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
A Bruce Oldfield evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana for the opening night of Les Miserables in 1985 is displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013 ahead of a sale of ten dresses that belonged to the Princess. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
Kerry Taylor speaks to members of the media as she stands in front of a Catherine Walker evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana for the State visit to Austria in 1989 at the Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
Dresses worn by Britain's Princess Diana (L-R) a Victor Edelstein evening gown worn for private entertaining in 1985, a Catherine Walker evening gown worn during a State Visit to Australia in 1985, a Catherine Walker pink sequined ivory crepe gown worn during a visit to Brazil in 1991, a Victor Edelstein evening gown worn for the State Dinner at the White House in 1985, a Catherine Walker evening gown worn for a State Visit to Austria in 1989, a Catherine Walker evening gown worn for a Vanity Fair photo-shoot with Mario Testino in 1997 and a Zandra Rhodes cocktail dress worn by Britain's Princess Diana to the Birthright benefit concert in 1987 are displayed at Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
An assistant poses with a Catherine Walker tailcoat worn by Britain's Princess Diana for the State visit to Korea in 1992 at the Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
An assistant poses with a Catherine Walker evening gown worn by Britain's Princess Diana for the State visit to India in 1992 at the Kerry Taylor Auction house in south London on March 15, 2013. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
LONDON(AFP) - Ten dresses owned by Princess Diana, including the one worn when she danced with actor John Travolta at a White House dinner, sold for £862,800 (S$1.6m) at a London auction on Tuesday.
The most iconic item - the strapless dark blue velvet gown worn at a 1985 dinner thrown by US president Ronald Reagan in honour of the Prince and Princess of Wales - raised £240,000.
It was immortalised in the photographs of Diana dancing with Travolta to the song, You Should be Dancing from his film Saturday Night Fever.
The dress was bought "by a British gentleman who said he wanted to buy it as a surprise to cheer up his wife", explained auctioneer Kerry Taylor.
