A silk tie once owned by Diana, Princess of Wales, is expected to fetch up to £3,000 when it goes under the hammer later this month. The elephant-patterned tie is being sold by auctioneers Reeman Dansie on 18 June as part of their regular royal auctions. Diana was spotted wearing the item in 1994, when she visited St Mary's Hospital in Paddington to see her new-born baby newphew Louis, Viscount Althorp. She paired the tie with a matching Escada suit, complete with embroidered gold elephants on the cuffs and belt.
Princess Diana wore the tie in 1994
The Princess later sent the tie gift-wrapped in gold papler to a friend's daughter, including a handwritten note saying that she hoped it would make her look "very smart" at her upcoming job interview. The note, signed "Lots of love, from Diana", and the tie's wrapping paper with red ribbon will all be included in the lot. "It is a wonderful opportunity to own an original item which was actually worn by Princess Diana," said auctioneer James Grinter.
The listed lot
"After she visited Earl Spencer’s new-born son at St Mary’s, she sent the elephant tie to a friend’s daughters so their father could wear it at a job interview." The sale will also include three Valentine cards that Diana sent to the same family. The cards, showing a chocolate bear, a chocolate heart and a wooden teddy bear, are all signed with the message: "Lots of love from Diana, William and Harry, X" and are expected to fetch between £300 and £500 each.
One of the Valentine cards sent by Diana to the same family that will also go on sale
Earlier this year, one of Diana's most iconic dresses sold for £25,000 to an anonymous bidder who wanted to surprise his wife. The midnight blue velvet gown was worn by the late Princess when she was famously twirled around a dance floor by John Travolta at a White House state dinner in 1995. "It was brought by a British gentleman who said he wanted to buy it as a surprise to cheer up his wife" revealed Kerry Taylor, who oversaw the sale of ten of Diana's dresses at the London auction. Kerry added that the new owner of the gown was a "lucky woman ."
The iconic dress that was sold to a 'lucky woman' for £25,000