Princess Diana’s iconic black sheep jumper sold to mystery bidder | UK News
The iconic black sheep jumper belonging to Diana, the Princess of Wales, has sold for a staggering sum of almost £1million.
The red jumper was worn by Lady Diana, who was recently engaged to Prince Charles at the time, to a polo match in June 1981.
It was sold for $1,143,000 (£920,000) at Sotheby’s in New York, easily outstripping its estimate of $50,000 to $80,000.
Sotheby’s described the jumper as having a ‘whimsical black and white sheep motif.
The catalogue note states: ‘Worn by Diana Spencer in 1981 to a polo match of Prince Charles.
‘This lot includes two official letters, written in 1981, from Buckingham Palace to Warm and Wonderful politely explaining the jumper had been damaged and requested either a repair or replacement.
‘Warm and Wonderful sent her a replacement sweater that she wore in 1983 to another polo match.’
It was one of the first designs by Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne from Warm and Wonderful knitwear, which was established in 1979.
Accessories and clothing bearing the sheep motif are still sold by the brand today.
The jumper was discovered in an attic in March by Ms Osborne.
Sotheby’s added: ‘Further investigation convinced the team: the damaged cuff, the shape, the single sheep at the shoulders, tiny variations in the sheep’s eyes which were individually sewn on…
‘In conjunction with a photo matched authentication by Sotheby’s, this lost sheep jumper found in an attic is confirmed to be the original sheep jumper worn by Princess Diana over 40 years ago.’
The identity of the winning bidder was not disclosed.
Online bidding for the jumper opened on August 31, which marked the 26th anniversary of Diana’s death in a car crash in Paris.
Earlier this week, an assortment of gowns worn by the princess were sold for more than £1 million.
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Get your need-to-know
latest news, feel-good stories, analysis and more
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
