Advertisement
Home Celebrity

Princess Diana’s coat & Marilyn’s love letters sold at record-breaking auction

A coat worn by Princess Diana, a bra that belonged to Marilyn Monroe and a slice of Prince William and Kate's wedding cake were amongst the items sold off at a record-breaking Hollywood Auction this week.

A coat worn by Princess Diana, a bra that belonged to Marilyn Monroe and a slice of Prince William and Kate’s wedding cake were amongst the items sold off at a record-breaking Hollywood Auction this week.

Advertisement

As part of an “Icons and Idols” sale at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, a vast array of highly collectible celebrity memorabilia was put up for auction this week, selling for record breaking prices.

Amongst the most spectacular items were the “Lost Archives of Marilyn Monroe” which included a love letter from her husband baseball-player Joe DiMaggio (written after she told him she was divorcing him) which fetched $94,000 (US $78,125). Another letter that the screen siren wrote to her other husband, playwright Arthur Miller, sold for $52,700 (US $43,750).

Also amongst Marilyn’s items was one of her white lacy bras which fetched $24,000 (US$20,000) and perhaps, most extravagantly, a silk overcoat which the star often wore and was photographed in, which sold for $210,000 (US $175,000) and a black cocktail dress which fetched $113,000 (US $93,750) . One of her necklaces drew in $41,400 (US $34,375), while a humble make-up compact went for $56, 500 (US $46,875).

Related: Celebrity Marilyn moments

Advertisement

There was also plenty of James Bond memorabilia with a one-seater plane flown by Roger Moore’s Bond in 1983’s Octopussy which up for grabs and expecting to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000. From Sean Connery’s 1967 outing as the famous spy in You Only Live Twice, the famous leather chair that the villainous cat-stroking Blofeld swivelled in, sold for $19,500 (US $16,250) while a helicopter film prop which sold for $27,000 (US $22,500).

Related: Judy Garland’s Wizard of Oz dress to be sold for $320k

Amongst the royal items was a wool coat dress worn by Princess Diana, designed by Caroline Charles, which she was photographed wearing in 1982 and in 1983 sold for $150,600 (US $125,000) and a famous Zandra Rhodes Evening Gown worn by her fetched $120,500 (US $100,000).

Related: Princess Diana’s replica wedding gown sells for $128,000 

Advertisement

From a more recent royal, a piece of wedding cake from the 2011 wedding of Prince William and Duchess Catherine sold for (US $7,500) – a rather expensive dessert!

Flip through the gallery to see all the iconic items and what they sold for.

As part of an “Icons and Idols” sale at Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills this week, Princess Diana’s coat – which she was seen wearing in 1983 while carrying a baby Prince William at an airport which sold for $150,600.

Advertisement

The famous Julien’s Auctions House in Beverly Hills gears up for their sale of star-studded celebrity memorabilia.

One of Marilyn Monroe’s necklaces drew in $41,400 (US $34,375), while a love letter from her husband baseball-player Joe DiMaggio (written after she told him she was divorcing him) which fetched $94,000 (US $78,125).

A black cocktail dress worn by the blonde bombshell fetched $113,000 (US $93,750) and a silk overcoat which the star often wore and was photographed in, which sold for $210,000 (US $175,000).

This custom-designed lace gown by British designer Zandra Rhodes was worn by Diana to an event in 1987 and fetched $120,500 (US $100,000).

Advertisement

All of Diana’s goods that were auctioned off were part of an auction originally held by the Princess herself in 1997 with all funds raised going to charity – the catalogue from that sale is pictured.

Princess Diana wore this petal pink Catherine Walker gown to the reopening of the Savoy theatre in London in 1993. It was expected to fetch between $60,000 and $80,000 at auction.

Princess Diana wore this green silk gown, also up for auction and also designed by her favourite designer Catherine Walker, to a banquet dinner at the Dorchester hotel in London, held by ruling monarch of Malaysia in 1993.

Also in the auction: souvenir cufflinks created commemorating Charles and Diana’s wedding, another of the Princess’ Catherine Walker gowns and a handwritten note by Diana, included in the original 1997 auction and reads: “The inspiration for this wonderful sale comes from just one person… our son William.”

Advertisement

A one-seater plane flown by Roger Moore’s Jaems Bond in 1983’s Octopussy was expected to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000.

From Sean Connery’s 1967 outing as the famous spy in You Only Live Twice, the famous leather chair that the villainous cat-stroking Blofeld swivelled in, sold for $19,500 (US $16,250) .

This week’s auction follows another recent music icons sale which saw the wedding dress Madonna wore when she married actor Sean Penn back in 1985 sell for a whopping $81,250.

Madonna’s wedding gown at auction.

Advertisement

The ‘Material Girl’ singer donated some of her most iconic garments, including the jacket she sported in the 1985 comedy “Desperately Seeking Susan” which fetched the highest amount of $252,000.

Other big-seller items from the auction of Madonna’s goods included the dress from the film “Evita” and her “A League of Their Own” uniform.

Related stories


Advertisement
Advertisement