Advantageous Auctions UK: Emanuel Royal Archive to be auctioned. Auction: Tuesday June 8th Viewing: Sunday June 6th and Monday June 7th Venue: La Galleria, 30 Royal Opera Arcade, Pall Mall, London
Kerry Taylor Auctions is proud to announce the sale of the historic Emanuel Royal Archive as part of the Passion for Fashion Auction on June 8th which comprises around 30 lots ranging from actual clothes worn by Princess Diana to fashion sketches, invoices, letters and related ephemera. Never has such a complete or historic Royal dress related archive come onto the open market before. The collection is estimated to fetch between £70-110,000. It charts the emergence and transformation of Lady Diana Spencer from a young, inexperienced fashion ingénue into the world renowned style icon that we all came to know and admire.
A large part of the Emanuel Archive is devoted to the Royal wedding and includes original designs and toiles for the bridal gown and bridesmaid dresses, the layered tulle petticoat worn by Princess Diana for fittings and rehearsals at St Pauls Cathedral, a duplicate sequined veil, invoices, letters from Lady Diana’s mother Mrs Shand-Kydd agreeing to the purchase cost of the bridal gown (1000 guineas), correspondence with Buckingham Palace and a photographic record of the making of the bridal gown. It even includes the handbag carried by Elizabeth Emanuel complete with smelling salts, just in-case the bride-to-be swooned on the day! The Emanuels assisted Princess Diana with her official tour outfits and the designs for tours to Venice 1984 and the Middle East in 1986 complete with fabric swatches and pictures of the Princess wearing the gowns are included.
Estimates range from £300 for a group of ephemera and letters relating to the royal wedding to £30,000 for the black taffeta gown.
Sale Highlights
The Emanuel black taffeta gown worn by Lady Diana Spencer for her first official appearance with her fiancé, HRH Prince Charles in 1981, estimate £30-50,000.
As Lady Diana bent down to climb out of the car she was met with a frenzy of press flash bulbs and the headlines next day included `Daring Di sets fashion as she takes the plunge’. Whilst Diana thought that black was a very elegant and grown-up colour to wear (she was only 19 at the time) it was deemed at the time an unusual choice as the Royal family wear this colour exclusively for mourning! However, the reaction of the general public to her appearance was rapturous. As the weeks before her wedding progressed Diana lost so much weight that she returned the gown to the Emanuels to have it taken in. The alterations required were so drastic that they decided it would be easier to re-make a smaller version for her. They kept the original and forgot about it – only re-discovering it quite recently. It will be sold together with an original copy of the invoice, fashion sketches, contemporary photographs of her wearing it and a letter of authenticity.
In her memoirs the Princess stated `I remember my first (royal) engagement so well. So excited. Black dress from the Emanuels and I thought it was OK because girls my age wore this dress. I hadn't appreciated that I was now seen as a royal lady, although I'd only got a ring on my finger as opposed to two rings. Black to me was the smartest colour you could possibly have at the age of 19. It was a real grown up dress. I was quite big-chested then and they all got frightfully excited. I remember meeting Princess Grace and how wonderful and serene she was....It wan an horrendous occasion. I didn't know whether your handbag should be in your left hand not your right hand. I was terrified really - at the time everything was all over the place.'
cf `Diana - Her True Story - in Her Own Words', p.36-37 published by Michael O Mara Books Ltd.
The Emanuel chiffon blouse worn by Lady Diana Spencer for her engagement portrait, 1981, £10,000-15,000. The hauntingly beautiful picture was taken by Lord Snowdon. The paleness and soft ruffle collar of the blouse off-set to perfection the perfect complexion and deep blue eyes of Lady Diana. The ruff-blouse was something that came to be associated with Diana and was imitated the world over – but this was the first occasion she had worn one
The final calico toile for the royal wedding gown, which was worn by Princess Diana, 1981, estimate £8000-12,000, labelled, the calico gown being an exact rendition of the gown later made in silk, with flounce to neck, central bow, flounced cuffs, trained skirt; together with two silk bodice toiles; pair of calico sleeve toiles; a single slimmer alternative sleeve toile; three further calico/muslin bodice toiles in sections; complete with the original brown paper pattern used for making the royal wedding gown; and a letter of authenticity signed by Elizabeth Emanuel.
For further information please contact:
Kerry Taylor
Tel: + 44 (0)208 676 4600
Email: info@kerrytaylorauctions.com
Auction: Tuesday June 8th
Viewing: Sunday June 6th and Monday June 7th
Venue: La Galleria, 30 Royal Opera Arcade, Pall Mall, London
On line catalogue with detailed descriptions and multiple images can be viewed on: www.kerrytaylorauctions.com
Printed catalogues available: £12 UK, £15 Europe and £18 Rest of the World
