Princess Diana’s Mughal dress to go under the hammer

London: A Mughalinspired designer gown worn by Princess Diana during her state visit to India in 1992 is among 10 iconic outfits coming up for auction here next month.

The lavishly embroidered pink silk evening gown and bolero, designed by Catherine Walker especially for the state visit to India in February 1992, is set to fetch between £ 80,000£ 120,000. “It is one of the most lavish of all her gowns. Richly embroidered royal dresses have been a tradition for royalty and aristocracy since Elizabethan times,” a spokesperson for Kerry Taylor Auctions told PTI.

It was during this particular trip that Princess Diana was famously photographed sitting alone at the Taj Mahal, which led to a flurry of speculation in the press at the time.

According to the lot description, the inspiration for the embroidered design came from the lid of an Indian inlaid marquetry box discovered by the designers in a London market. Great care was taken when choosing the colours of the needlework as it needed to be colourful and exuberant to reflect the country of her visit. The other nine lots at the auction includes another iconic gown worn by the princess while dancing with actor John Travolta during a state dinner at the White House in 1985.

— PTI

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