New Delhi: Auction house Sotheby’s recently revealed that the outfit worn by the late Princess Diana broke auction records, with the final price skyrocketing to ₹9.1 crore ($1.1 million). The last-minute frenzy saw the prize pool jump from just ₹1.5 crore ($190,000) to the final amount, all in the final 15 minutes of the two-week event.

However, the Sotheby’s thought to fetch ₹65 lakh but it was in June. Sweaters are more than just an item of clothing. It became famous 40 years ago when Diana, Princess of Wales, then engaged, wore it to Prince Charles’s polo match.

The sweater features a white sheep motif with a lone black sheep among it, creating an iconic symbol worldwide. The fashion item has gained new attention due to its depiction in the popular Netflix series “The Crown,” in which Emma Corrin, the actress who plays Diana, wore a replica.

Designed by Warm & Wonderful, a knitwear brand, in 1979, the round neck sweater became a norm after receiving Lady Diana’s approval. This royal assent has helped increase sales and brand recognition for the knitwear brand.

Sweaters returned to the top in 1982. Designers Sally Muir and Joanna Osborne received a special request to repair or replace Buckingham Palace after the princess was seen wearing a damaged version.

Designers responded by creating a completely new item for Diana, who was later seen wearing it at another polo match. Iconic sweater Auction house Sotheby’s described the clothes as a topic of discussion among the media, fashion critics and the public.

This raises the question of why the sweater had such a profound impact on the late princess and what its unique design symbolizes.

It’s a remarkable story about a knitted product: from its debut at a polo match four decades ago, to its rebirth on a popular TV show, and finally its record-breaking auction.