LONDON — An exhibition of dresses worn by Diana, Princess of Wales are due to go on public display for the first time in 30 years ahead of the coronation weekend.
Three dresses worn by the late princess are due to go under the hammer at a Los Angeles auction this August, but will first go on display over the summer period in Co Kildare, Ireland.
The exhibition is due to open at the Museum Of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware on Friday and has already garnered interest.
Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, who are selling the dresses with Turner Classic Movies as part of a collection of 1,000 items associated with famous figures, said there would be particular interest in it due to the coronation.
“It’s very special because it’s Princess Diana and we think about the coronation coming up this weekend and what if Diana was still with us, (what) an amazing queen she would be,” he told the PA news agency.
“Her kindness, her humanity, her philanthropic endeavours – she could do so many great things.”
He said that the Co Kildare museum was seen as an appropriate place to showcase the gowns as it was a permanent home to three of her garments already – including the pink blouse she wore when she announced her engagement to the King and the so-called black “revenge dress”.
Nolan said of the late princess’s style: “Diana herself she wanted to be modern and in touch, fashionable and relevant and also with Catherine Walker, they came up with the idea of ‘timeless’ because when you looked at the royal family you can almost tell what era it was, what decade it was when you look at what they’re wearing.
