AFP :
An iconic red sweater worn by Princess Diana shortly after her engagement to then-Prince Charles, featuring rows of fluffy little sheep, sold at auction for $1.1 million following a frenetic bout of final bidding, Sotheby’s announced Thursday.
The 19-year-old sported the knit garment-which includes one black sheep amid dozens of otherwise white wooly creatures-at a June 1981 polo match during her whirlwind days as a shy royal-in-the-making.
The playfully patterned “Black Sheep” sweater became one of the most emblematic articles of clothing worn by Diana, which in hindsight seems to foretell her troubled journey as a member of the British royal family.
The garment nabbed $1.1 million-which includes fees and commission-after a fierce battle by internet bidders.
The total was over ten times more than Sotheby’s initial estimate of between $50,000 to $80,000.
Due to an avalanche of bids, the auction house extended the sale by several minutes, with the price leaping astronomically from $190,000 to $1.1 million in the final 15 minutes.
According to Sotheby’s, it is the highest price ever paid at auction for a garment belonging to Princess Diana-eclipsing her Infanta-style ball gown sold in January for $604,800 — as well as the most valuable sweater ever sold at auction.
