Princess Diana's iconic midnight blue velvet gown, which was dubbed the "Travolta dress," fetched a hefty price tag of nearly $347,000 (£264,000). The sale happened after the dress failed to reach its reserve price at an auction in London on Monday, Dec. 9.
According to Daily Express, royal fans initially snubbed the Travolta dress when no one matched the reserved price tag of £200,000 ($262,872). Apparently, Princess Diana's gown was expected to close at £250,000 to £300,000 ($328,000 to $394,000) but the auction ended without making the sale.
Fortunately, the Travolta dress was later bought by an unnamed "British institution" for £264,000 ($347,000). The sale took place after the auction was done. According to the report, the seller of Princess Diana's dress was happy that it will remain in the U.K.
The Princess of Wales wore the Travolta dress when she and her husband, Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales, visited the United States in 1985. At a dinner party hosted by the White House, the Princess of Wales sashayed the dance floor with actor John Travolta. Wearing her gorgeous dress, Princess Diana danced "Night Fever" with Travolta, and that moment has been forever etched in the annals of history.
The Travolta dress was created by London designer Victor Edelstein, who was inspired by Edwardian fashion. The choice of fabric the designer used was quite regal, and the style of the dress was very dramatic.
Princess Diana would wear the Travolta dress again during a trip to Germany two years after that White House party. She would also don the gown for her last official photograph in 1997.
Two months before she died, Princess Diana sold the dress to businesswoman Maureen Dunkel during a charity auction. The Travolta dress would find its way back at the auction block in 2013, where a British gentleman bought the gown for more than £350,000 to surprise his wife. The couple recently decided to auction off the dress again after it has been kept in the wardrobe for many years.
Meanwhile, at the same auction, two of Princess Diana's dresses also sold for a substantial amount. Katherine Cusack designed one dress and another was from designer Catherine Walker.
Before she died, Princess Diana often donated her dresses to Christie's for charity auctions. According to Royal Central, the total of her dresses sold at auctions would likely be around $5.7 million.
