Testino sells Diana print to aid Peru quake victims

Mario Testino is to auction a signed print of Diana, Princess of Wales, it was announced today.

A decade after the picture first appeared in Vanity Fair, the renowned Peruvian photographer will auction it off.

The money from the sale will go to the children’s charity Save the Children, to help the families affected by the earthquake in Peru rebuild their lives.

The one-off appeared in the 1997 Vanity Fair issue and also featured on the invitations to the recent Wembley Stadium concert organised by Prince Harry and Prince William in their mother’s memory.

Testino said: “I left Lima the night before the earthquake and the temperatures were very low. The thought of these people living with their sorrow and pain in these freezing conditions is extremely sad.

“So many buildings, schools and homes have collapsed in Peru since the earthquake a fortnight ago. Full recovery for the tens of thousands of families and their children affected will take a long time.”

He continued: “ I feel very attached to this cause and this is the reason I’ve decided to help as much as can. I have decided to auction an image of Diana to help the people in Peru because, for me, Diana went out of her way to help people.

“The photo that I took of Diana in 97 captured a moment in time that can never be repeated. I hope the value of this will be recognised when it is auctioned in aid of Save the Children, whose work is helping children in Peru recover from this disaster.”

Save the Children has launched a global appeal for children in Peru.

The money raised from the auction will help provide blankets, large tents, food, water containers and kitchen equipment.

It is two weeks since the earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter scale struck the coast of Peru, affecting more than 35,000 families.

The auction will be held on November 20 in London by Phillips de Pury & Company.