Diana’s spare wedding dress to go up for auction

DIANA Princess of Wales’s spare wedding dress, made in case of any mishaps on the big day, is up for sale.

The replica of the famous ivory silk gown was tried on by Lady Diana Spencer on the morning of her marriage to the Prince of Wales.

It is expected to fetch more than €75,000 when it goes under the hammer next month through Cooper Owen auctioneers.

The duplicate dress was made by designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel as a back-up.

A spokesman for Cooper Owen said: “The only difference is that the actual wedding dress had Queen Mary’s lace sewn on to the front.

“It was made in case of any hick-up or disaster.

“Fifty thousand pounds [€75,000] is the reserve price. We expect it to go for a lot more.”

Queen Mary’s antique was the ‘old’ part of the tradition of a bride wearing something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue.

More than 500 million TV viewers watched Diana marry the heir to the throne on July 29, 1981.

The original taffeta gown is kept at an exhibition dedicated to the Princess at her childhood home Althorp.

Cooper Owen creative director Louise Cooper said: “Princess Diana was and still is an icon to millions, and we will ensure her legacy is maintained in an appropriate way.”

A replica of the wedding dress worn by the Duchess of York - also a stand-by - is also being auctioned. It is expected to fetch around £6,000 (€8,800).

Other items being sold include a blue tracksuit which belonged to John Lennon, priced at around £15,000 (€22,000) and the vest worn by James Dean in the movie Giant is expected to go for around £30,000 (€44,000).