Princess Diana's velvet Bruce Oldfield dress fetches more than £56k at auction

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Bruce Oldfield gown worn on a trip to Portugal in 1987 was the star lot
Kerry Taylor Auctions in London sold three rare items from royals' wardrobe
Dress Princess wore to Highland Games in 1982 sold for £8.875
Turquoise dress from 1983 fetched £5,250 - five times predicted price

Published: 11:41 EST, 13 December 2016 | Updated: 17:50 EST, 13 December 2016

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She was one of the major style icons of the 20th century, so it's no wonder buyers were eager to splash out on rare items from her wardrobe.

A purple velvet Bruce Oldfield gown belonging to Princess Diana has sold for £56,250 at auction in London, although it was predicted to fetch up to £70,000.

However, a turquoise Catherine Walker dress proved a surprise hit, with the winning bidder paying £5,250 for the frock which was only expected to reach a top price of £1,000.

Three rare gowns from Princess Diana's wardrobe have been sold at auction in London, including a purple velvet Bruce Oldfield dress she wore in Portugal in 1987

Diana's dress was sold for £56,250 at auction in London, although it was predicted to fetch up to £70,000

The Princess is seen chatting to the fashion designer while wearing his gown at the gala

The embossed dress was the star lot at yesterday's auction in south London

A tartan dress chosen by Diana for an outing to the Braemar Highland Games in 1982 fetched £8,875, not far above the predicted maximum of £9,000.

The purple embossed Bruce Oldfield dress, which has a wide neckline exposing the shoulders and a slit to reveal a glimpse of leg, was first worn by the Princess of Wales during an official visit to Portugal with Prince Charles in 1987.

She chose the gown for a dinner thrown by the then Portuguese president Mario Soares at the Ajuda Palace in Lisbon.

Diana wore the dress with a dazzling diamond tiara that was a gift from Her Majesty the Queen.

Princess Diana, seen with Prince Charles chatting to the then Australian PM Bob Hawke and his wife Hazel, wore the outfit during the royal couple's 1983 tour of Australia and New Zealand

A turquoise Catherine Walker dress proved a surprise hit, with the winning bidder paying £5,250 for the frock which was only expected to reach a top price of £1,000

This turquoise silk dress, worn by Diana, Princess of Wales during a royal tour of New Zealand in 1983, was also sold by Kerry Taylor Auctions in London yesterday

Diana wore the dress again the following year at a charity gala in London, where she was pictured chatting to its designer, Bruce Oldfield.

It was sold at Kerry Taylor Auctions in Bermondsey, South London yesterday and was initially predicted to fetch between £50,000 and £70,000.

The tartan dress was chosen by Diana for an outing to the Braemar Highland Games in 1982, while the turquoise silk outfit was worn during a tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1983.

Diana's checked dress was a nod to her surroundings - the Braemar Highland Games in Scotland in September 1982

A tartan dress that Diana wore to the Braemar Highland Games in 1982 was snapped up by a buyer for £8,875

The Princess wore this dress to the Braemar Highland Games in 1982. It was expected to fetch between £6,000 and £9,000 at auction and almost reached the higher estimate

Princess Diana wore the off-the-shoulder Bruce Oldfield during an official visit to Portugal with Prince Charles in February 1987

Diana's dresses were not the only items from a royal wardrobe on sale.

A colourful cotton dress worn by Princess Margaret in the Bahamas in 1967 also went under the hammer and was bought for £1,500.

And a feather hat and muff modelled by Hollywood star Audrey Hepburn in Harper's Bazaar magazine in 1956 also went under the hammer, fetching £11,250.