by A tour of Bonhams’ sale of The Crown costumes and props is like entering a surreal world where Madame Tussauds and Buckingham Palace are somehow combined, and where the lines between what is real and what is royal are blurred.
Is it possible that I see before me a replica of the life of the State Gold Coach? Has anyone tried to recreate Sir William Chambers’ 1760 rococo design for a few flashy moments of television? It turns out they did, “with some artistic license” according to the auction house’s listing.
From the sublime to… numerous cocktail trays complete with Tanqueray gin bottles, silver-plated ice tongs and retro soda siphons (mine for an estimated £60-80), a set of novelty nodding figures in the shape of Imelda Staunton as Elizabeth II (£80 -120) and a £2,000-3,000 replica of the famous Garrard sapphire and diamond engagement ring Charles gave to Diana in 1981. Even the gates of Buckingham Palace will go to the highest bidder.
If, at times, there is a nagging sense that this feels like a final sell-out of the British monarchy, that is because it is, but not as it was – as we have constantly had to remind ourselves with the A crown – for the actual monarchy, of course. . No, we won’t see inside Diana’s actual make-up bag, brush our hair with Princess Margaret’s silver brushes or admire the model ships in Prince Philip’s real study, but we can do exactly that with him the items created for the Netflix show during its six seasons, which ended in December.
“I’m so proud of it, it’s really museum quality,” says Meg Randell, head of handbags and fashion at Bonhams. She had “the most fun ever” visiting the huge warehouses at Elstree Studios to find a large number of items which have now been organized into two auctions – one live, one online – worth more than 450 lots . The live auction of the top 150 trees will take place on February 7th at noon and the online auction is now live, with 300 items ending on February 8th. .
And the display is a sight to behold, with each character’s belongings laid out so you feel as if you’re touring their bedroom or dressing room. Indeed, for someone of a certain type, £5,000-8,000 for the French king’s wooden and gilded metal bed Claire Foy, Olivia Colman and Imelda Staunton sleep in as Elizabeth II will be money well spent.
Due to the variety of items on sale, Bonhams expects an eclectic mix of buyers. “Most people will bid at the last minute, so we don’t really know who they are exactly but it’s been so interesting to see where the interest is coming from so far,” says Randell. “There are a lot of people in the UK, who have a lot of interest from America, France, Spain and Asia. All over the world, it seems to have captured the imagination.
“On the upside, you’ll have real collectors who are buying because they’re royal or screen collectors. Some may be buying because of the actors who wore the costumes,” she continues. “We have some really reasonable pieces, like haute couture suits with estimates of £300-400, so hopefully people who want to wear them will buy some. Imagine if someone said ‘I love what you’re wearing’ and you could say ‘Oh thank you, it was made for Olivia Colman as the Queen’.”
I feel the twist on my own credit card when I see some of the costumes available. The replica of the revenge dress worn by Elizabeth Debicki as Diana in season five has real wow numbers (est. £8,000-12,000). This is the closest anyone will come to owning the iconic cocktail frock as the original is believed to still be owned by Princes William and Harry. A re-imagining of Hartnell Hartnell’s stunning dresses from Elizabeth II (all as beautifully crafted as the basics) and Princess Margaret’s sublimely simple wedding dress (£6,000-8,000) could top any fashion lover’s shopping list.
There are also unexpected touches like a Harvard sweater identical to one worn by Diana to the gym (the university provided a funnel-neck style for the show that has long been discontinued from general sale), a gold cardigan with embroidered rope that Debicki wore in a few words. a scene in season six (est. £500-700) and – my personal highlight – a set of 10 pieces of powder blue leather luggage embossed with “HRH Princess of Wales” (£2,000-3,000) would be one way ensure preferential treatment on a Ryanair flight.
“The amount of work that goes into making every little thing is amazing,” says Randell. “It’s such a small moment on screen, or sometimes you don’t even see it, but The Crown created a completely believable world in which the characters live.” Even drawers that were closed during the film would be filled, a book or a prop would be suitable, like watercolor paints for Charles (and yes, you can buy those too, for £150-200).
“One of my favorite dresses is a gold column dress worn by Wallis Simpson. It’s draped so beautifully, like Schiaparelli, it’s a proper haute couture dress made by the atelier but in the show, you only see her in it for a moment when they’re at Villa Windsor.”
In an act that feels rather royal, proceeds from the live sale will go towards establishing the Left Bank Pictures – Crown Scholarship program at the National Film and Television School. It’s a fitting ending for a show that, according to Randell, “raised the bar for what a TV series should look like, with so much passion, money and time put into it”. A reported $13 million (£10.2 million) was spent on each episode.
Could the royals buy themselves? Boris Johnson has reportedly put in a £30,000 bid for life’s face No. 10 to be paid. I can definitely see Princess Anne sporting the vintage Missoni chair seen on her character in the early seasons of the show. Meanwhile, Randell says she would, “love the revenge dress that a celebrity is going to wear to the Met Gala” so they could “use it to create a cultural moment.” I wonder if there are any registered bidders in Montecito?
