On September 14, the UK media reported that Princess Diana’s red sweater was sold for $1,143,000 at Sotheby’s, a renowned auction house in New York City, after a two-week online auction. There were 44 bidders within 15 minutes, and the final price increased 14 times from the initial bid of $80,000. This staggering amount makes it the most expensive piece of clothing owned by the late Princess Diana ever sold at an auction, and the most expensive sweater in history.
Princess Diana wore this knitted red sweater – with a prominent black sheep pattern among the white sheep – during a polo match of her then-fiance, now known as Prince Charles, in June 1981.
The sweater was one of the designs by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne for the knitwear brand Warm & Wonderful. The brand gained widespread recognition afterward, and the two designers became famous.
At the display, they placed the sweater next to an exchange letter between the brand Warm & Wonderful and Buckingham Palace. According to the exchange, Diana accidentally damaged one sleeve, so she requested the brand to mend it. However, the brand thought it should be replaced.
According to Sotheby’s spokesperson Cynthia Houlton, “They sent Diana a new sweater in 1981. Then, in 1983, we see her wearing the replacement sweater in another polo match.”
The spokesperson emphasized the significance of this by stating, “In terms of clothing, Princess Diana certainly had many choices of what she could wear, things that… meant something to her.”
Cynthia explained, “This particular sweater was actually worn by the Princess on many occasions in public. And that says a lot about the significance of the sweater to her.”
When the Princess started wearing the replacement sweater, the original one was no longer around. Earlier this year, Joanna Osborne found it in the attic. It was tucked away in a small box next to a bedspread. This item had never been released to the market before. According to Cynthia, “It’s exciting that since 1981, we’ve talked about it, and now we’re auctioning it. For me, it’s the most iconic piece of her.”
The small tear on the sleeve is believed to have been caused by getting caught on Princess Diana’s engagement ring.
In 2020, a replica of the black sheep sweater was produced and released by the fashion brand Rowing Blazers in collaboration with the designers Muir and Osborne. Actress Emma Corrin wore a replica of the sweater when portraying Diana in season four of the Netflix series “The Crown” in 2020.
The co-founders of Warm & Wonderful shared their thoughts on the event: “Since stumbling upon the sweater in March this year, we’ve relived the joy of seeing Princess Diana on the front pages of every newspaper in 1981, wearing our sweater. We are forever grateful to her for the tremendous influence and impact she had on our business. We’re delighted this beloved sweater has found a new home, carrying with it the lasting legacy of Princess Diana.”
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