The red wool sweater decorated with sheep, worn by Princess Diana in 1981 shortly after her engagement to Prince Charles, sold for more than $1.1 million on Thursday at Sotheby’s after a fierce internet auction battle . The auction house confirmed to AFP the price of the sale, $1.1 million including fees and commission, more than ten times the initial estimate – set by Sotheby’s at a range between $50,000 and $80,000.
The sale, open on the internet since August 31, came to life in the very last minutes, causing the final price to skyrocket from 200,000 to 1.1 million with bidding to $50,000, AFP noted. Just after her engagement, Diana Spencer wore this red sweater with white sheep patterns, with the exception of a black one, during a polo match attended by Prince Charles in June 1981, making an impression with her relaxed attitude. and creating, according to Sotheby’s, “a cultural and viral moment of great magnitude.” This public appearance also offered an unexpected publicity boost to their two creators, Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne, and their brand Warm and Wonderful.
A few weeks later, they received a letter from Buckingham Palace explaining that the future Princess of Wales had damaged it and wanted to know if it was possible for them to repair or replace it. They had made a new copy, worn in 1983 by the Princess of Wales, but the sweater on sale was the original.
