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Prince William was key to Princess Diana’s decision to do away with a series of ball gowns and iconic dresses that had defined her life as a member of the Royal Family. In 1997, the Princess of Wales put 79 of her most famous gowns up for auction in a bid to support her charities as well as redefining her public image. Speaking to Channel 5 documentary ‘Diana, In Her Own Words,’ Diana’s friend Debbie Frank claimed the Duke of Cambridge had personally suggested to his mother she should sell the dresses.

Ms Frank said: “The idea of auctioning the dresses came from William.

“She told me so herself and she was so proud of him for coming up with that idea.”

Royal expert Ingrid Seward suggested the decision to auction the gowns had also helped Diana to get rid of clothes she felt were closely linked to her royal life and some “unhappy” memories.

Ms Seward said: “They were all hanging in wardrobes in Kensington Palace. It was bulging with dresses.

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“And each one had a personal memory for Diana, not all of them happy. She didn’t need those big ball gowns anymore.”

Princess Diana herself had admitted to Vanity Fair ahead of the auction she would no longer need the ball gowns in her new role as an independent woman.

She said: “I am extremely happy that others can now share the joy that I had wearing them.

“Life has moved into new and exciting areas. Clothes are not as essential to my life as they used to be.”

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After the auction took place in June 1997 in New York, the Princess of Wales said she was “stunned” by the amount raised as she praised American fans for their support.

In a letter to Harper’s Bazaar editor Liz Tilberis written on her birthday, Princess Diana said: “It was stunning the amount made by the auction last week.

“How typical of the Americans to be so totally generous. I can always rely on them!”

The success of the ball gown auction however was short-lived and was soon shadowed by the sudden death of Princess Diana in August 1997.

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The Princess of Wales had been enjoying a holiday to Paris with her partner Dodi al-Fayed when she tragically died in a car crash.

Prince Charles personally travelled to France with Diana’s sister to escort her remains back to the United Kingdom.

The Prince of Wales stood by his sons’ sides as they walked behind Diana’s coffins on their way to Westminster Abbey for their final farewell to the Princess of Wales.

In his eulogy to his sister, Earl Spencer said: “Diana was the very essence of compassion, of duty, of style, of beauty. All over the world, she was a symbol of selfless humanity.

“All over the world, a standard-bearer for the rights of the truly downtrodden, a very British girl who transcended nationality.

“Someone with a natural nobility who was classless and who proved in the last year that she needed no royal title to continue to generate her particular brand of magic.”

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