Woman faints after winning Princess Diana's iconic ‘Caring Dress' an auction in Beverly Hills
The emotional scene unfolded at Julien's Auctions in Beverly Hills on June 26 during the "Princess Diana's Style & A Royal Collection" sale.
Renae Plant, the founder of The Princess Diana Museum, was seated in the front row with bidder number 333, anxiously watching the bids climb from an initial $125,000 to an astonishing $400,000. With added fees, the final amount reached $520,000.
As the auctioneer's gavel fell and the dress was declared hers, Plant jumped to her feet in sheer joy, shouted 'Oh my god!', and promptly fainted from the overwhelming rush of emotion. The moment was captured on video, showing her both laughing and crying as the room broke into applause and staff quickly attended to her.
The dress, designed by Bellville Sassoon in 1988, is known affectionately as the 'Caring Dress.' Princess Diana wore it repeatedly between 1988 and 1992 during visits to hospitals and charitable organisations.
Its colourful blue silk design, with bright rainbow flowers, was meant to appear warm, friendly, and huggable — reflecting Diana's famously approachable nature.
For Renae Plant, the win was more than a collector's achievement. It was deeply personal. She recalled meeting Princess Diana at age 18 outside St. Andrews Cathedral in Sydney. Dressed in a bikini top and shorts, she had abandoned her beach plans for a chance encounter with the royal icon — a memory that has stayed with her ever since.
'This wasn't just a dress,' said an onlooker at the auction. 'It was a connection to history, and you could see just how much it meant to her.'
Auction house representatives confirmed that the dress was one of the sale's highlights, not only for its royal significance but also for the outpouring of emotion it triggered.
As fans across social media shared the footage, many commented on the purity and joy of the moment, calling it 'the kind of good news the internet needs.'
With this purchase, Plant not only adds an important item to her museum's collection but also honours the memory of a princess whose style, compassion, and spirit continue to inspire millions around the world.
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