Nearly three decades after her death, Princess Diana continues to captivate hearts worldwide. In June 2025, one of the largest collections of memorabilia from the late royal is up for auction. Among the items going under the gavel are an intimate letter from Princess Diana.
The letter headlines “Princess Diana’s Style & A Royal Collection,” the largest Princess Diana auction ever staged, which took place on June 26, 2025, in Los Angeles.
In total, the auction brought in more than US$5 million. A portion of the proceeds will go towards Muscular Dystrophy UK, a charity which funds research, provides care resources, and advocates for those affected by over 60 muscle-wasting conditions.
For many Australians who remember watching her wedding in the early hours of July 29, 1981, and following her journey through marriage, motherhood, and independence, these items represent a tangible connection to a woman who changed the face of royalty forever.
Princess Diana’s letter reveals her loneliness
Just two days after her fairy-tale wedding to Prince Charles, a 20-year-old Princess Diana penned a heartfelt letter that offers a rare glimpse into her emotional world behind palace doors.
Written on July 31, 1981, on official royal stationery and sent from Buckingham Palace, the note was addressed to footman Mark Simpson. Mark was more than just a palace employee to Diana – he was a trusted friend who even appeared in her wedding photographs, captured on the 1902 State Landau that carried the newlyweds through London’s streets.
“My stay was made so much easier by your company as it was so terribly lonely,” she wrote in her distinctive handwriting, signing off simply as “Diana” and including a hand-drawn smiley face.
Though millions had just watched her lavish wedding, Diana’s words revealed a young woman already feeling isolated. Her gratitude to Simpson for his “kindness + patience” and “so many laughs” is visible throughout the kind message.
The letter, postmarked August 1, 1981, is filled with tender, revealing details — including a lighthearted joke about missing her “bowls of cereal” aboard the royal yacht during her honeymoon.
Now up for auction through Julien’s Auctions, the letter is expected to fetch over $6000 USD. More than memorabilia, it offers a personal portrait of a young princess at the beginning of a journey that would captivate the world.
Signature fashion items up for auction
Beyond this personal correspondence, the auction showcases over 300 items that tell the story of how Diana revolutionised royal style.
Among the treasures heading to auction are pieces that defined Diana’s signature fashion: a beloved Bellville Sassoon dress she wore repeatedly (proving even princesses have favourite outfits), the John Boyd Peach Pink Straw Archer Style Hat that accompanied her on her honeymoon, and the British Lung Foundation sweatshirt.
Princess Diana’s famous “Lady Dior” handbag, a gift from France’s First Lady Bernadette Chirac in 1995, is in the action. Also, some of her iconic athletic and casual wear, including her British Lung Foundation sweater and red ski suit.
The auction also features contributions from designers who knew Diana intimately. Elizabeth Emanuel, co-creator of Diana’s iconic wedding dress, has provided sketches and an unworn black dress. While Jacques Azagury contributed gowns from Diana’s final public appearances.
A Royal Collection beyond Diana
While Princess Diana’s items form the auction’s centrepiece, the collection extends across generations of the royal family.
There are items from King Charles III, Queen Elizabeth II, and the Queen Mother. Plus, pieces from legendary fashion houses such as Chanel, Dior, Givenchy, and Versace.
This comprehensive collection provides context for Diana’s revolutionary approach to royal dressing. It shows how she both honoured tradition and broke new ground.
As bidders prepare for June 26, they’re not just acquiring fashion and memorabilia – they’re preserving pieces of a legacy.
What were the Princess Diana auction results?
The floral Bellville Sassoon dress, pictured above, nicknamed the “caring dress,” sold for over $500,000 (around AUD $780,000) at auction. Renae Plant, founder of The Princess Diana Museum, bought it and plans to showcase it in her virtual collection. However, she also plans to debut her newly acquired pieces in a travelling exhibition beginning in November 2025 in California. Furthermore, Renae hopes to establish a permanent display in the UK. She reportedly took out a fourth mortgage to secure 35 items at the auction, spending nearly $1.9 million in total.
Among the items sold was a Lady Dior handbag, which fetched US$325,000 — well above its estimated value. Her white British Lung Foundation sweatshirt, also pictured above, sold for US$221,000, more than ten times its expected price.
Her custom Catherine Walker gown from Diana’s 1986 Gulf Tour was sold for US$455,000. Diana’s yellow Bruce Oldfield outfit worn at Ascot in 1987 sold for US$260,000. And the peach honeymoon hat, pictured above, was auctioned off for US$26,000.
In total, the Princess Diana auction brought in more than US$5 million, with a portion of the proceeds benefiting Muscular Dystrophy UK
Princess Diana’s Style & A Royal Collection is on June 26, 2025, at The Peninsula Beverly Hills. Conducted by Julien’s Auctions.
