Photo: Courtesy RR Auction
A sketch of a burqa-style dress forPrincess Dianato wear when she visited the Gulf States in the mid-1980s has emerged.
But it was never shown to the princess – and the dress was never made, Elizabeth tells PEOPLE.
Today is the21st anniversary of the princess’s sudden deathfollowing a car crash in Paris.
Courtesy RR Auction
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An outline of the commission is included in the sale from Diana’s lady-in-waiting Anne Beckwith-Smith says, “Certain special requirements concerning dress need to be observed and I am writing to ask if it would be possible to submit to The Princess of Wales a few sketches for day and evening wear from which Her Royal Highness could select items for this tour.”
She adds, “Their Royal Highnesses will be visiting Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia … In all cases modesty is the order of the day.”
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Also included are copies of the Emanuel invoices, which describe the dresses in detail.
Elizabeth, who hasher own line,Emanuel Mayfair, adds, “The sketch was done when we first had the commission. We had never made anything for the Middle East before and didn’t know what the customs were.”
She is surprised that it has come up for sale. “I don’t know where this has come from – it was all such a long time ago.”
source: people.com
