Registration has officially opened for one of the largest-ever sales of Princess Diana’s iconic attire, hosted by Julien’s Auctions and with a live event taking place on June 26 at the Peninsula Beverly Hills. Of all the royal pieces being offered (there are over 300), there is none quite as famous as the Lady Dior handbag, which was originally called the “ChouChou” and was gifted to Diana by the former first lady of France, Bernadette Chirac, in 1995.
Princess Diana’s Iconic Lady Dior Bag Is Up for Auction
Going, going, gone
Published Jun 1, 2025
•4:00pm
Tim Graham/Getty Images
Tim Graham/Getty Images
Diana first debuted the luxury accessory on an official visit to Argentina in November of that year. She was separated from then-Prince Charles at the time, but with her 1996 divorce on the horizon, the late Princess of Wales was also coming into her own, choosing fashions that reflected not only her independence, but her post-royal image. (As British Vogue describes it, the classic top-handle bag signified her “increasing boss woman status.”)
Tim Graham/Getty Images
Extra special about the bag—which is made of lambskin and adorned with decorative metal letters that spell out Dior—is the fact that when Diana first received it, it wasn’t yet on sale. But after being gifted the box-shaped tote, the princess carried it often, which led to it being renamed the Lady Dior in 1996, after Diana herself. She even commissioned a second version in navy blue to “match the color of her eyes,” according to British Vogue. To this day, it’s considered one of the most iconic handbags of all time.
The estimated value? Julien’s has the Lady Dior handbag placed between $20,000 and $30,000. (The current bid registered is $12,500, but there’s nearly a month to go before the live auction takes place.) As we’ve seen with other Princess Diana auctions recently, the closing value is often way beyond what was initially expected. For example, it was estimated that Diana’s Warm & Wonderful sheep sweater would fetch between $50,000 and $80,000. It ultimately sold for over $1 million.
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Like we said, there’s still plenty of time—and loads of Diana items to bid on. (We’re also eyeing her 1988 Bellville Sassoon floral day dress, not to mention Diana’s brightly colored magenta ski suit, worn numerous times.) A portion of proceeds from the auction will benefit Muscular Dystrophy UK, a nod to Diana’s charitable legacy, so we hope these items fetch a ton.
But back to the Lady Dior handbag: Of all the pieces, it feels the most synonymous with Diana. May the best bidder win.
