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Nov 08, 2024

Princess Anne sparks fan frenzy as she dons backless dress and £500k brooch | Royal | News | Express.co.uk

Princess Anne proved to royal fans she can cut an elegant silhouette in stunning evening wear, as she donned a navy backless dress at a charity gala dinner.For the event, Princess Anne cast aside her

Princess Anne proved to royal fans she can cut an elegant silhouette in stunning evening wear, as she donned a navy backless dress at a charity gala dinner.For the event, Princess Anne cast aside her usual skirt suits opting instead to wear a backless, vintage Frank Usher dress from the 1960s in midnight blue, which fans have described as "stunning". The Princess Royal was attending a gala dinner in aid of The Eric Liddell 100, a charity and community hub in Edinburgh, honouring sporting legend Eric Liddell.

The dress originally featured a block of pave crystals at the neck and back, but Princess Anne customised the look by pinning a sapphire brooch, which belonged to Empress Maria Feodorovna, to the top of the neckline.

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Last night, during a gala dinner in aid to The Eric Liddell 100, The Princess Royal appeared to be wearing a vintage Frank Usher dress from the 1960s! ✨??????#whatannewore pic.twitter.com/VsBIWzqx8p

One royal fan admired the vintage look, and wrote on X: "She has the best vintage wardrobe of anyone."Another agreed, and stated: "Her closet is a vintage lover’s dream."A third admired Anne's figure: "She’s stayed the same size all these years and often brings back outfits from decades earlier."

Another commented: "Wow! What a fantastic dress! She looks beautiful!"Someone else admired Anne's choice of outfit: "Effortlessly elegant. Serenely stylish. What impeccable taste the Princess Royal has."

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The expensive brooch is a favourite of 74-year-old Anne, who last wore it in 2022, during a visit to Uganda with her husband Sir Timothy Laurence.Fine jewellery expert, Maxwell Stone of retailer, Steven Stone said: "When Queen Elizabeth II inherited the throne, her Grandmother’s brooch was passed down to her and she wore it multiple times over the years – making it one of the most popular pieces from the late monarch’s brooch collection.

"The eye-catching piece features a sugarloaf cabochon sapphire, encircled by two rows of diamonds and has a removable pearl droplet that hangs delicately underneath.

"The incredible sapphire and intricate diamond detailing would give this piece an estimated value of over £500,000."The extravagant jewellery item was first purchased by the Princess of Wales in 1866 as a wedding present to her sister, Empress Maria Feodorovna. Following the Empress' death, Queen Mary reportedly bought the brooch from her estate.