Photo Illustration: by The Cut; Photos: Getty Images
It’s the New Year, which means Kim Kardashian has a new style icon. After wearing Marilyn Monroe’s dress to the Met Gala — and getting a lot of backlash for it — she’s transitioned to another famous blonde: Princess Diana. And fans, well, they have thoughts.
On Wednesday, Sotheby’s held its “Royal & Noble” auction featuring various items belonging to past rulers. Among the pieces on offer was a diamond and amethyst cross pendant, once worn by Diana, which Kardashian quickly snapped up for an reported $197,453. (A bargain considering jewelry experts had previously told Page Six they were expecting up to $500,000.) Sotheby’s London’s Kristian Spofforth said in a statement that the company was “delighted to see this piece given new life found in the hands of another world famous name.” But maybe he’s the only one.
Fans on Twitter were less than thrilled to see an accessory most closely associated with a beloved British royal family going to the woman accused of permanently damaging Monroe’s dress (claims she denied). “She’s trying to traumatize the minds of famous women,” Def Noodles joked Twitter. Her extravagant purchase soon became a meme, with fans suggesting other pop culture relics Kardashian might buy next.
Kim Kardashian at the Dead Celebrity Gift Shop pic.twitter.com/plOSHOF9nU
— abdullah (@sidkyab) January 18, 2023
Kim Kardashian bought THE family van that turned up to take Vicki Gunvalson to the airport with 12 bags and 6 people #RHOC pic.twitter.com/SK78Ktqa33
– Christian Schnee (@theCGSshow) January 18, 2023
Although Diana wore it a few times, most famously to a 1987 charity gala in London, the pendant known as the Attallah Cross was never really hers. It was borrowed from Garrard, its maker, and bought by businessman Naim Attallah CBE after her death. However, a press release from Sotheby’s said Diana was the only person known to have worn the 5.25 carat piece in public. “It has never been seen in public since her death,” the Page Six press release said.
Kardashian has been inspired by Diana before. In 2018, multiple outlets discovered that her then-favorite pant — the cycling shorts — had been popularized by Diana in the mid-’90s. Kardashian may not be a real queen, but she’s dying to dress like one.
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