Auctions
Buyers Go Wild for Props From the Beloved Netflix Series ‘The Crown’
The sale exceeded expectations to fetch about $2.1 million.
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Artnet News
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Fans of the critically acclaimed Netflix series The Crown dug deep in their pockets at Bonhams London on February 7, driving an auction of costumes, sets, and props to sell out completely—what is referred to as a “white-glove” sale in the auction business. The 473 lots tallied some £1.7 million (about $2.1 million) against a presale estimate of £525,000 ($663,000). The sale had also extended online from January 11 to February 8.
The top lot was a 1987 Jaguar XJ-SC 3.6 Litre Cabriolet that represented Princess Diana’s personal Jaguar. It went for £70,250 ($88,724) against a high estimate of £20,000 ($25,259). A reproduction of the Gold State Coach (the only one in the world, according to the house) doubled its estimate to fetch £56,280 ($71,115).
The 1987 Jaguar XJ-SC 3.6 that represented Princess Diana’s personal car. Photo courtesy of Bonhams.
Wildly exceeding its estimate was a Harvard sweatshirt ensemble worn by Elizabeth Debicki, who portrayed Princess Diana, which fetched £5,760 ($7,279) against a high estimate of only £700 ($885).
Tiny props also performed well, including a reproduction of Diana’s engagement ring that sold for £7,680 ($9,704) against a high estimate of just £3,000 ($3,791). A Swizzle stick used to stir drinks, meanwhile, sold for more than 20 times its estimate.
A reproduction of Princess Diana’s engagement ring. Photo via Bonhams.
Over its six seasons, the Emmy- and Golden Globe-winning historical drama series spanned six decades of British history, from the 1947 wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten to the marriage of Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles in 2005.
“The Crown auction offered a unique opportunity to own pieces from the landmark show, the closest most of us will get to the real thing,” said Charlie Thomas, Bonhams’s U.K. Group director for private collections. “We are delighted with the result—a white glove sale in which everything was 100 percent sold. It is without doubt testimony to the success of the series and the incredible talent that worked on The Crown.”
Proceeds from the live auction will fund scholarships at the National Film and Television School.
