Dearest Diana

Christopher Balfour fondly recalls a hilarious trip to New York with the princess, who would have been 60 on 1st July

- TIM GRAHAM/GETTY

When Princess Diana approached me about selling her dresses at Christie’s, I was very new as Chairman.

‘I’d have to check with my fellow directors, Ma’am,’ I said. ‘I’m not sure we do clothes.’

‘It’s a bit better than second-hand clothes!’ she said.

Princess Diana behaved very well throughout the wholesale. She was fantastically kind to all the staff at Christie’s.

The plan was for us to stay in New York for three or four days. We stayed at the Carlyle and had breakfast, lunch and dinner together every day.

For the actual sale, on 25th June 1997, we were originally going to watch the evening auction in a private room at Christie’s New York and then take a late-night flight to London.

On the day of the sale, she said, ‘I’ve got a feeling about this evening. I don’t think the prices will go well. It’s going to be a failure. I don’t want to be surrounded by the press if it is. So I’d prefer to leave New York before the auction.’