Three of Princess Diana's iconic gowns go on display in Ireland ahead of Charles' coronation

'Princess Diana – Fashion from the Wardrobe of The People’s Princess' opens to the public in Ireland one day before the coronation of King Charles III in the UK

Diana pictured in 1991 wearing the black and jade Catherine Walker dress, which is going on public display in Ireland on Friday.

“She was the People's Princess, but she was the queen of style as well.” 

So says Martin Nolan as three of Princess Diana’s iconic gowns go on display in Ireland ahead of a special auction in the United States.

An exhibition dedicated to the style of Princess Diana opens to the public on Friday at the Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware in Co. Kildare and features three garments owned and worn by Diana which were last seen in public when they were auctioned by Christie’s in 1997. The rare garments will be displayed as part of a new exhibition called ‘Princess Diana – Fashion from the Wardrobe of The People’s Princess’ before heading to Julien’s and TCM’s two-day ‘Legends’ event in Beverly Hills in August.

The jade and black evening gown worn by Diana to a gala dinner at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto in 1986 which is now in display in Ireland. Picture: Martin Keene/PA Wire

Nolan, co-owner in US of Julien's Auctions, says he is “very excited” to be auctioning the rare garments later this year.

“It’s so unusual to have the three of Diana's gowns at one time, coming directly from Diana because she sold them at her own auction in New York in June 1997 — two months before she sadly passed away, tragically,” he said at the exhibition’s launch in Newbridge.

The collection includes a scarlet red silk Bruce Oldfield gown worn by Diana when she attended the film premiere of Hot Shots at Leicester Square, London, in November 1991. Julien’s Auctions have estimated the value of the dress between $200,000 - $400,000 (€181k - €362k). There are also two Catherine Walker dresses, an English designer who created garments for Diana for 16 years. Walker also designed the black cocktail dress that Diana was laid to rest in.

Dresses owned by the late Diana, Princess of Wales, on display at the exhibition Princess Diana – Fashion from the Wardrobe of The People's Princess, at the Museum of Style Icons in Newbridge, Co. Kildare. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

One of those on display is a black and white strapless gown, worn by Diana to a private function and estimated to fetch $60,000 - $80,000 (€54k - €72k) at auction. The second is a jade and black evening gown worn by Diana to a gala dinner at the Royal York Hotel in Toronto in 1986. It is estimated between $100,0000 - $200,000 (€90k - €181k).

The gowns will be on display with the Museum of Style Icon’s permanent Princess Diana exhibits, which include the famous pale pink Emanuel blouse Diana wore in the official engagement portrait by Lord Snowdon in 1981 and Diana’s iconic ‘Revenge Dress’, an off-the-shoulder fitted black dress won by Diana in 1994.

Nolan says the dresses are “in amazing condition” and he expects they will “sell significantly well” at auction.

Nolan says Diana was beloved and the exhibition opening the same week as her ex-husband’s coronation is well timed.

Diana wears the scarlet red silk Bruce Oldfield gown at the film premiere of Hot Shots in 1991

“Obviously the spotlight is on Charles and Camilla, the coronation of the King and Queen of England, but also if she was still with us, she would be an amazing queen of kindness and the world needs kindness now. Her humanity, her humility and her philanthropic work, all those things would be so important to us today. And so I thought, this is a good time to do it.” 

‘Princess Diana – Fashion from the Wardrobe of The People’s Princess’ opens to the public on Friday and the Museum of Style Icons at Newbridge Silverware is free to visit. The three garments will be sold by Julien’s Auctions on August 26 and 27 in Beverly Hills.