Princess Diana portrait completed three years before her death sells for $201,600 at auction

Painting has sold for 10 times more than expected price

(AFP via Getty Images)

A rare oil painting of the late Princess of Wales has sold at auction for $201,600 (£150,000), which is more than 10 times how much it was estimated to go for by Sotheby’s.

The portrait was completed by the late American artist Nelson Shanks in 1994, three years before Diana died in a car crash in Paris.

In the image, the Princess is seen looking downcast in a green halter-neck gown by Catherine Walker.

She is also wearing diamond earrings in the head study, which was completed as part of a larger full-length portrait.

For the full portrait, which hands at her ancestral home in Althorp, Northamptonshire, Diana sat for more than 35 hours.

Diana was thought to have developed a close friendship with Shanks during the sittings in addition to his wife, Leona.

In a letter she wrote to Shanks, obtained by Sotheby’s, Diana wrote: “I do miss you and Leona in London, as coming to the Studio was a safe haven, so full of support and love.”

In a description about the image on its website, Sotheby’s states: The final portrait reflects the emotional toll of Diana’s public life in the mid-1990s, but also her inner resilience.

“In 2010, Shanks painted a second full-length version of the portrait of Diana from memory. “

It continues: “In it, she has the same downcast eyes and thoughtful expression as in her full-length portrait, though she and Shanks agreed to change her clothing to a white blouse for the final portrait.”