Princess Diana’s iconic black sheep jumper has fetched a small fortune at auction selling for a heart-stopping £920,000 to a mystery bidder.
The sale by Sotheby’s in New York outstripped expectations because the initial estimated value was £40,000 – £70,000.
The former Princess of Wales wore the knitted item at a polo match in June 1981, shortly after her engagement to the then Prince Charles.
The fashionable jumper features a whimsical black sheep among white ones and was designed by Osborne and Sally Muir for Warm and Wonderful Knitwear, which was founded in 1979.
It became one of the most identifiable items of the late Princess’s wardrobe.
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Sotheby’s described the sweater as featuring a “whimsical black and white sheep motif” and said it was among the pioneering creations by the knitwear brand.
Sky News reports the note in the catalogue at auction said: “Worn by Diana Spencer in 1981 to a polo match of Prince Charles.”
It added: “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.”
The writing described how Warm and Wonderful sent Princess Diana a replacement sweater that she wore in 1983 to another polo match.
The jumper was discovered in an attic in March by designer Joanna Osborne.
In conjunction with a photo-matched authentication by Sotheby’s, the lost sheep jumper found in an attic is “confirmed to be the original sheep jumper worn by Princess Diana over 40 years ago.”
Online bidding began on 31 August, coinciding with the 26th anniversary of Diana’s tragic death in a car accident in Paris.
The jumper gained such fame as a result of its use by Diana that a copy is held at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Some commentators have claimed that the princess’s later wearing of the garment had hidden meaning, with the single black sheep emblematic of how she viewed her place in the Royal Family.
