Around 26 years after her death, the famous sweater with the black sheep of the British Princess Diana (1961-1997) was auctioned in New York for 1.1 million US dollars (around one million euros). This makes it the most expensive sweater ever sold at auction and the most expensive piece of Princess Diana’s clothing ever sold at auction, the auction house Sotheby’s announced on Thursday.
The auction house actually only valued the piece at around $80,000. Shortly before the end of the multi-day online auction, the bids rose from 190,000 US dollars to 1.1 million US dollars in a 15-minute bidding competition with more than 40 participants – in the end more than 14 times as much much as previously estimated. Sotheby’s initially did not say who ultimately bought the red wool sweater with many white sheep and one black sheep.
Diana caused a stir with the sweater during a public appearance in 1981. When the sweater was damaged a little later, she ordered a new one from the makers of “Warm and Wonderful.” You can still buy the piece there today for the equivalent of more than 200 euros. “We are thrilled that the beloved sweater has found a new home, taking with it the enduring legacy of Princess Diana,” Warm and Wonderful founders Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne were quoted as saying.
Diana, mother of Prince William and Prince Harry, died in a car accident in Paris on the night of August 31, 1997 at the age of 36. To this day, the ex-wife of the British heir to the throne, Charles, has many fans around the world as the “Queen of Hearts”. (dpa)