Two of Britain's Duchess of Cambridge's much-admired hats have smashed their target at an auction.
The headpieces reached more than double their price estimate at the Passion for Fashion auction in London yesterday.
One of the designs on offer was a black and white Philip Somerville creation, which had been worn by Catherine to Prince William’s Order of the Garter presentation in June 2008. According to British newspaper The Telegraph, the hat was sold for £3,224 - more than double its £1,000 - £1,500 target.
Estimated in the same price bracket, the second piece was a black feathered Aurora hat worn by the royal style icon to friend Harry Meade’s wedding in October 2010. It sold for £3,720, the newspaper reports.
Both of the creations were snapped up by an anonymous American bidder who spotted a rare opportunity to acquire a piece of style history.
Now that Catherine is married to Prince William, auction houses are unable to offer any of her belongings unless they are officially sanctioned for charity purposes. However, because the thrifty Duchess had hired both hats for the occasion, the rule could be circumvented.
The Passion for Fashion auction was held by Kerry Taylor, the same auction house who sold the famous see-through dress worn by the royal in a St Andrews University fashion show for £78,000 in 2011.
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