Princess Diana’s blue velvet “Travolta” dress has sold for almost $459,000.
The royal famously danced with John Travolta while wearing the stunning ensemble, made by Victor Edelstein, while attending an event at the White House back in November 1985.
The dress has now been bought by the Historic Royal Palaces (HRP) after it failed to sell at an auction.
HRP confirmed to ET Canada that they had no immediate plans to put the dress on display, as it’s recently been on show in the “Diana: Her Fashion Story” exhibition.
Eleri Lynn, curator at HRP, said in a press release: “We’re delighted to have acquired this iconic evening gown for the Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection – a designated collection of national and international importance – over 20 years since it first left Kensington Palace.”
“Not only is the ‘Travolta’ dress a fantastic example of couture tailoring designed to dazzle on a state occasion, it represents a key moment in the story of twentieth century royal fashion.”
“The photographs of Diana, Princess of Wales dancing with John Travolta at the White House wearing this midnight blue Victor Edelstein gown are known the world over, with the dress’s twirling velvet skirt playing no small part in making this such a memorable image.”
Lynn added, “So many designers have spoken to me about Diana’s incredible charisma and presence. Even designers who had many years’ experience of dressing celebrities and royalty talked about how Diana had the ability to make them feel as if they were walking on air. I think Diana’s real triumph in fashion was that she rose above it, so that by the end, all you saw was her.”
