Dresses, shoes worn by Princess Diana to be auctioned Wednesday in Beverly Hills
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. -- Nearly 27 years after the death of Princess Diana, a massive auction is being held in Beverly Hills to give fans a chance to own a piece of British royalty history.
Julien's Auctions is hosting "Princess Diana's Elegance & A Royal Collection" starting Wednesday morning at the Peninsula hotel in Beverly Hills. It's billed as the largest auction of Diana's personal items since she died in 1997.
Among the premium items up for bidding:
1987 Victor Edelstein Magenta Silk And Lace Evening Dress. Worn on Diana on two occasions in 1987 and expected to fetch $200,000 to $400,000.
Catherine Walker The Chelsea Design Company Pink Floral Dress. A pink floral silk shirt dress designed by Catherine Walker that Diana was pictured wearing on at least two occasions, in 1991 and 1992. Estimated to fetch $100,000 to $200,000.
Catherine Walker Black Velvet Evening Gown This gown designed by Catherine Walker was not worn in public. It's expected to fetch $100,000 to 200,000.
For Diana fans with a smaller budget, items such as handbags, shoes and personal letters are estimated to go for less than $5,000.
A portion of proceeds from the auction will benefit Muscular Dystrophy UK.
The auction includes other miscellaneous items from British royalty, such as a cotton nightgown that belonged to Queen Victoria, and a cotton dress that was owned by Wallis Simpson, the American socialite whose marriage to King Edward VIII led to his abdication.
Diana Spencer married then-Prince Charles in 1981 and they divorced in 1996. She is the mother of princes William and Harry. Diana died in a car crash on Aug. 31, 1997 while being chased by paparazzi in Paris.
The Julien's auction is being billed as the largest of its kind since the year of her death. Just weeks before she died, she auctioned off 79 of her own dresses, raising millions for charities she supported. Some of the items she originally sold in that Christie's New York auction on June 25, 1997 are now being offered at this week's Julien's event.
