Princess Diana's gown auction

Apr 13, 2010, 12:22 GMT

A collection of dresses belonging to Britain's late Princess Diana are being put up for auction.

Designers David and Elizabeth Emanuel - who created Diana's 1981 wedding gown when she married Prince Charles - are putting 30 outfits and sketches up for sale, including the black taffeta creation she wore on her first official appearance with Charles, which is tipped to fetch up to £50,000.

Talking about the dress, Elizabeth previously said: "The transformation was incredible. She arrived to try it on looking like the nursery school teacher she was, but now she looked like a movie star.

"We hadn't considered the fact that when Diana bent over - as she would have to do when getting out of the car - she would show quite a lot of cleavage. We just thought she looked fabulous."

The auction - which will take place in London in June - also includes the chiffon blouse worn by Diana for her engagement portrait taken by Lord Snowdon, estimated at £10,000 to £15,000.

Other lots include original sketches of her wedding dress, which could reach £1,200 and its final calico 'toile' which is estimated at £8,000 to £12,000.

In 1990, Elizabeth left David and attempted to branch out on her own, but went bankrupt in 1997.

She now has her own couture line, Art Of Being, while David works as a fashion designer under his own name.