Shillong, September 15: A historic red sweater worn by Princess Diana, featuring a black sheep among white ones, has achieved a remarkable price of more than $1.1 million at a Sotheby’s auction in New York.
As per IANS, Sotheby’s announced the impressive sale in a tweet, stating, “Frenzied bidding pushed Princess Diana’s historic black sheep Warm & Wonderful sweater to sell at $1.1 million today in our inaugural Fashion Icons auction.”
The significance of this sweater lies in the fact that Diana wore it in 1981 to a polo match attended by Prince Charles. During the same year, a letter from Buckingham Palace was sent to Warm and Wonderful, a British luxury knitwear brand. The letter politely explained that the jumper had been damaged and requested either a repair or replacement.
Warm and Wonderful promptly provided a replacement sweater, which Princess Diana wore in 1983 to another polo match, adding to the sweater’s historical value.
Bidding for the sweater began on August 31, and it remained below $200,000 until the final minutes of the auction. Sotheby’s had initially estimated the sweater’s value to be between $50,000 and $80,000.
The winning bidder’s identity remains undisclosed. This sweater’s sale price surpasses that of many other items associated with the “People’s Princess” sold at recent auctions.
The design of the sweater is often seen as symbolic of Princess Diana’s unique place within the royal family.