Princess Diana’s iconic ‘Black Sheep’ jumper sells for US$1.1 million at auction

Frenetic bidding brought the price of the garment – worn by Diana soon after her engagement to Prince Charles – to over 10 times the initial estimate

The garment created by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne is now the highest price ever paid at auction for a piece of clothing belonging to the late British royal

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A staff member poses with Princess Diana’s “Black Sheep” jumper at Sotheby’s auction house in London in July. Photo: AFP

Published: 5:36am, 15 Sep 2023Updated: 6:02am, 15 Sep 2023

An iconic red jumper worn by Princess Diana soon after her engagement to then Prince Charles, featuring rows of fluffy little sheep, sold at auction for US$1.1 million following a frenetic bout of final bidding, Sotheby’s announced on Thursday.

The 19-year-old sported the knit garment – which includes one black sheep amid dozens of otherwise white woolly creatures – at a June 1981 polo match during her whirlwind days as a shy royal-in-the-making.

The playfully patterned “Black Sheep” jumper 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 US$1.1 million – which includes fees and commission – after a fierce battle by internet bidders.

The “Black Sheep” jumper designed by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne and worn on several occasions by Britain’s late Princess Diana is seen at Sotheby’s auction house in London in July. Photo: AFP

The total was over 10 times more than Sotheby’s initial estimate of between US$50,000 to US$80,000.

Due to an avalanche of bids, the auction house extended the sale by several minutes, with the price leaping astronomically from US$190,000 to US$1.1 million in the final 15 minutes.