London – The award-winning series, The Crown, is one of Netflix’s most prestigious and acclaimed shows. Now, as the final series premieres, Bonhams announces a once-in-a-lifetime auction of close to 450 props, furniture, and costumes – including those inspired by Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation Robes and Princess Diana’s ‘Revenge dress’ – from all six series of The Crown, written and created by Peter Morgan and produced by Left Bank Pictures and Sony Pictures Television. A live sale of approximately 150 lots will take place on Wednesday 7 February 2024 at Bonhams, New Bond Street, London, followed by an online auction of around 300 lots commencing on 30 January to 8 February on bonhams.com. Proceeds from the live sale will go towards establishing the Left Bank Pictures –The Crown Scholarship programme at the National Film and Television School (NFTS) which has training sites across the UK in Buckinghamshire, London, Leeds, Scotland, and Wales.
Charlie Thomas, Bonhams UK Group Director for House Sales and Private & Iconic Collections commented: “The iconic costumes, props and set pieces from The Crown are extensively researched and made with truly impressive attention to detail by master craftspeople. Not only is this an incredible opportunity to own pieces from the landmark show, it is also the closest anyone can come to owning the real thing – be it the façade of 10 Downing Street or Princess Diana’s engagement ring.”
Number 10 Downing Street and Buckingham Palace
The ambition and attention to detail of The Crown’s costumes, props and sets was central to the deserved acclaim the British production received. Oscar-winning production designer, Martin Childs, and his team meticulously recreated two of the most famous addresses in the world – Downing Street and Buckingham Palace. The recreation of Number 10 Downing Street façade and front door is offered in the sale with an estimate of £20,000-30,000 along with the replica of the famous wrought-iron gates of Buckingham Palace, with an estimate of £6,000-8,000.
The Coronation
Poring over hours of archive footage, The Crown’s creative team captured as much of the reality of the Coronation as possible. The exquisite recreation of The Queen’s Coronation ordaining dress, Imperial Mantle and red Coronation robe will be offered in the sale with an estimate of £20,000-30,000, alongside the world’s only reproduction of the Gold State Coach with an estimate of £30,000-50,000, and a reproduction of the Coronation Chair (Saint Edward’s Chair) with an estimate of £10,000-20,000.
Costumes including a dress inspired by Princess Diana’s ‘Revenge Dress’
The sale will also feature some magnificent and memorable costumes worn by the cast playing the wider Royal Family over the course of the series. These were created by three award-winning designers, Michele Clapton (Season 1), Jane Petrie (Season 2), and Amy Roberts (Season 3 to 6), who worked with Sidonie Roberts, Associate Costume Designer. The costumes were painstakingly crafted so that each outfit expressed the mood and personality of the characters portrayed, and was extensively researched and recreated with an exacting eye for detail. Nowhere is this more evident than with the dress inspired by Princess Diana’s ‘Revenge Dress’, which Elizabeth Debicki (as Princess Diana) wore to the Serpentine Gallery. The ‘Revenge dress’, an off-the-shoulder black cocktail dress from season 5 episode 5, and worn by Elizabeth Debicki (as Princess Diana), has an estimate of £8,000-12,000.
Other highlights of the sale include:
- Claire Foy (as The Queen): Powder blue ballgown with pearl embellishment featured in the promotional poster with fur stole and grey leather court shoes. Season 1 Episode 5. Estimate: £5,000-7,000.
- Emma Corrin (as Lady Diana Spencer): Engagement ring. Estimate: £2,000-3,000.
- Emma Corrin (as Lady Diana Spencer): Engagement announcement, a royal blue crepe skirt suit with pussybow blouse. Season 4 Episode 3. Estimate: £1,500-2,000.
- Vanessa Kirby (as Princess Margaret): Full-length ivory wedding dress & veil with cream satin shoes. Season 2 Episode 7. Estimate: £6,000-8,000.
- Elizabeth Debicki (as Princess Diana): Grey ‘Harvard’ sweatshirt. Season 5 Episode 7. Estimate: £500-700.
- Emma Corrin (as Princess Diana): Blue dancing dress with silver flecks and flounce sleeves. Season 4 Episode 6. Estimate: £2,000-3,000.
- Helena Bonham Carter (as Princess Margaret): Full-length pale silver and grey banquet gown as seen in the Guildhall Banqueting scene, also featured in promotional posters. Season 3 Episode 9. Estimate: £2,000-3,000.
- Elizabeth Debicki (as Princess Diana): Leopard print swimsuit and sunglasses as seen in the Gulf of St Tropez, Speed Boat scene. Season 6 Episode 1. Estimate: £800-1,200.
- Elizabeth Debicki (as Princess Diana): Jaguar – a 1987 Jaguar XJ-SC 3.6 Estimate: £15,000-20,000.
- Jonathan Pryce (as Prince Philip): Desk – a French early 20th century mahogany and gilt-metal mounted pedestal desk, together with a variety of desk accessories. Estimate: £3,000-5,000.
- Imelda Staunton (as The Queen): Bureau – a mahogany bureau cabinet in the George III Rococo style, together with a collection of porcelain decorated figures, desk lamp, a leather writing blotter, photograph frames and other accessories. Estimate: £3,000-5,000.
- Lesley Manville (as Princess Margaret): A suite of luggage, comprising three steamer trunks, a leather suitcase and two hatboxes with cream lining, all painted in cream with The Crown’s crowned ‘M’ monogram. Estimate: £1,000-1,500.
- The Queen Mother: A champagne swizzle stick together with a selection of character bar props compiled by The Crown’s Prop Department including a silver-plated drinks tray, cut-glass ice bucket and matched tumbler, silver-plated ice tongs, a BOC Sparklets soda syphon, in gold and other accessories. Estimate: £60-80.
- Two Beswick porcelain models of corgis (17cm wide, 7cm deep, 14cm high) together with a silver mounted photograph frame, enclosing a black and white photograph of a corgi. Estimate: £200-300.
A Lasting Legacy: Left Bank Pictures – The Crown Scholarship programme
Proceeds from the live auction will go towards establishing a brand-new stream of funding for the National Film and Television School (NFTS) giving rise to the Left Bank Pictures – The Crown Scholarship programme. This will support a number of students at the NFTS over the next 20 years, enabling them to receive the specialised training for which the school is globally renowned.
Andy Harries, Chief Executive of Left Bank Pictures and Executive Producer of The Crown, added: “It has been a privilege for me and all at Left Bank Pictures to have been at the heart of The Crown. Its huge global success has much to do with working with the best creative and production talent in this country and we want to invest the proceeds of this magnificent auction into the next generation of film and TV talent. The NFTS has been part of The Crown’s history from the start with many of its graduates contributing to the production of the show over the years. I have long admired the ethos and training of the school and supported it personally. So, I am thrilled that the legacy of The Crown will be to provide so much financial support for so many students at the NFTS over the next few decades. With their unrivalled knowledge and expertise in Film and Entertainment memorabilia, Bonhams was the sole choice of partners for us. Their specialists’ excitement, vision and passion for The Crown Auction was evident from the start.”
Jon Wardle, Director of the National Film and Television School, said: “We are thrilled that future talent flowing from the National Film and Television School (NFTS) will benefit from the exceptional items generously donated by Left Bank Pictures and The Crown. Since its inception, the dedicated craftsmanship of over 60 NFTS alumni has been pivotal in bringing such an iconic series to life. The proceeds from the auction will play a crucial role in supporting life-changing scholarships, ensuring the next generation of film and television makers are given the opportunity to benefit from our world-renowned training, paying forward The Crown’s legacy for many years to come.”
The Crown will take its final bow when the last six episodes will be released on Netflix from 14 December, marking the end of the groundbreaking series.