Princess Diana's Travolta dress sells for £264,0000
One of Diana, Princess of Wales's most famous dresses has sold for £264,000.
She wore the midnight-blue, off-the-shoulder, velvet gown by Victor Edelstein when she danced with Hollywood actor John Travolta at a 1985 state banquet at the White House.
Bids on the gown, which Diana originally spotted in burgundy but asked Edelstein to make in blue for her, did not reach the reserve price of £200,000 at an auction on Monday.
But it was later sold post-auction to Historic Royal Palaces.
Eleri Lynn, curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said: "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 20th-century royal fashion."
She went on describe Diana as someone who became a "timeless" and "elegant" fashion icon.
It was the star attraction when Diana auctioned off scores of her outfits for charity in 1997, and sold for more than £120,000.
The dress was last sold at auction in 2013 for £240,000 and bought by an anonymous bidder who said he wanted to surprise his wife.
Diana and Travolta had twirled across the White House dance floor to a medley of Grease and Saturday Night Fever.
The actor described the experience as being "like a fairy tale".
Two other items from her wardrobe also formed part of the sale.
