LOS ANGELES (AFP).- Five dresses designed for and worn by Britain's late Princess Diana have gone under the hammer in Los Angeles for a total of nearly half a million dollars.

Three of the gowns were made by British dressmaker Catherine Walker, Diana's favorite designer and close personal friend, as well as one by Caroline Charles and another by Zandra Rhodes.

The Catherine Walker dresses all fetched within or just above their estimated price of between $60,000 and $80,000.

An off-the-shoulder petal pink gown embellished with bands of simulated pearls, faceted glass and beadwork went for $75,000. 

Also on offer was a strapless ivory silk crepe dress which went for $76,800, while a chartreuse silk georgette gown worn by Diana in 1993 fetched $81,250.

The Zandra Rhodes evening gown created for Diana, which was estimated to sell for $80-100,000, went for $100,000. 

The Caroline Charles burgundy wool coat dress was the surprise of the five, going for $125,000 -- easily beating its pre-sale estimate of $20-40,000.

The dresses went under the hammer, along with other Diana-related items, Friday evening at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills.



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