One of the iconic evening gowns that belonged to Princess Diana will go up for auction in June and is expected to fetch anything between £80,000 and £100,000. Diana famously wore the glitzy sequined dress during a state visit to Austria in 1986 when she accompanied Prince Charles to a gala.
Members of the public will be able to bid for the gown on the-saleroom.com during a live auction on 14 June.
Diana famously wore the sea-green number in the eighties, pairing it with a diamond and emerald choker necklace that she received as a wedding present from the Queen Mother.
Princess Diana's iconic Catherine Walker gown will go on sale on 14 June
The gown was designed by Diana's close friend Catherine Walker and formed part of a large group order that the Princess made about a month before the state visit.
The late People's Princess had so much faith in Catherine's taste and judgment that she didn't even ask to see provisional sketches; she just asked the designer to select and make the outfits on her behalf.
© Photo: Getty ImagesDiana paired the dress with a choker that she received from the Queen Mother
Apart from her glamorous Vienna appearance, Diana went on to wear the dress several times after – including at a charity ball at Osterley House to raise funds for the British Paraplegic Society and to the 1993 film premiere of Biggles.
Catherine, who first met Diana shortly after her wedding to Prince Charles, was known to have designed around 1,000 outfits for the Princess. The pair remained close friends until Diana's death in 1997.
© Photo: Getty ImagesDiana's couture tartan outfit will also go under the hammer
Another of Diana's outfits that will also go under the hammer at the live auction later this month is the wool tartan couture Emanuel day ensemble.
Also known as the Emanuel Special, the dress features a wide sailor collar, padded shoulders and box pleats on the back. It is expected to fetch between £10,000 and £15,000.
The outfit was especially commissioned by Diana for her state visit to Italy in 1985. She was pictured wearing it during a gondola ride with Prince Charles in Venice and later that same day when the couple collected their sons Princes William and Harry from the airport. Diana was pictured sweetly holding baby Harry in her arms aboard the Royal Yacht Britannia.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Princess wore it during an official visit to Italy in 1985
Designer Elizabeth Emanuel has confirmed that only one outfit like this was ever made – and it was for the Princess.
Prospective buyers can view the lots online now on the-saleroom.com although the dresses will not go on sale until 11am BST on 14 June.
Auctioneer Kerry Taylor of Kerry Taylor Auctions, who will be leading the event, noted: "The two Princess Diana pieces we have in this auction, although similar in colour, couldn't be more different. The sea-green sequined evening gown by Catherine Walker, 1986 is full-on Hollywood glamour, and by far one of the more show-stopping, sultry pieces from her 1980s wardrobe.
"In stark contrast, the tartan wool day ensemble by the Emanuels is warm, practical and lady-like. The press at the time unkindly likened it to a 'horse-blanket'. Despite its more practical appearance, it is still very desirable and rare as examples of the Princess's daywear, which does not often come onto the open market."
