Princess Diana’s favourite gym jumper sells for £43,000

Diana's former personal trainer parts with garment after more than 20 years

(AFP/Getty Images)

Workout clothes don’t come cheap, but it’s not everyday that a baggy gym jumper sells for £42,700. That is, unless that baggy gym jumper once belonged to Princess Diana.

The late Princess of Wales was photographed wearing her navy blue Virgin Atlantic pullover – a gift from Sir Richard Branson, on repeated trips to the gym in the mid-1990s.

It’s widely believed that Diana wore the garment so frequently to discourage paparazzi from photographing her, the idea being that they would always end up with the same photograph.

On Thursday night, an anonymous bidder pad $53,000 (£42,700) for Diana’s jumper from RR Auction, an American sales house.

The garment was sold by Jenni Rivett, Diana’s former personal trainer, who was given the jumper just a few months before the princess died in Paris in 1997.

Writing on Faceboook, RIvett explained she decided that after 20 years of ownership, she had decided “to part with this iconic sweatshirt” given to her by Diana.

“It deserved a better home as it was gathering dust in my wardrobe,” Rivett added.

“I’m donating the proceeds to a family in Malawi. Nothing more, nothing less. I know Princess Diana would support my decision.”

The sweatshirt features Virgin Atlantic’s Flying Lady logo and was sold alongside a handwritten note from Diana to Rivett that read: “Dearest Jenni, lots of love from Diana x.”

Diana pictured wearing the jumper as she arrives at her gym on 20 November 1995. (AFP/Getty Images)

RR Auction House originally estimated the garment would sell for £5,000. Clearly, the jumper was worth much more than that to its buyer.