Princess Diana's star-covered velvet dress sells for record $1.1 million at auction
A dress worn by Princess Diana was auctioned off for over $1.1 million in Hollywood on Sunday.
The black and blue evening dress designed by Moroccan-British fashion designer Jacques Azagury was sold at Julien's Auctions for a total of $1,143,000, the auction company announced.
Diana, who died in 1997, wore the dress for at least two formal public appearances.
She was first seen wearing it during an official royal tour of Italy with Prince Charles in April 1985 and again when she attended a performance by the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in May 1986, according to the auction company.
The long-sleeve dress features a black velvet bodice with blue metallic stars and a royal blue ballerina skirt with a sash and bow — a nod to Diana's love of ballet.
"The design is sweet and sophisticated, and the silver metallic paint on the velvet sparkles nicely alongside the embroidery to create a design reminiscent of a night's sky," the auction company said.
Sunday's sale broke the record for the most expensive dress worn by Diana to be sold at auction, the BBC reported. Previously, the record holder was a velvet gown by Victor Edelstein, which sold for $604,800 in January.
Earlier this year, Diana's iconic sweater known as the "black sheep" was expected to sell for $80,000 on auction at Sotheby's — instead, it sold for $1.1 million.