Early Catherine Walker Cocoa Brown Coatdress

fits Franklin Mint Diana Portrait Doll

Catherine Walker had been providing dresses for Diana since early 1982, but they had been primarily maternity dresses or the last minute ones such as Diana needed when she ran out of clothes on the 6 week Australia tour in 1983. by 1985, though, Diana was beginning to rely on Walker to more regularly provide her with outfits for her official duties. This cocoa brown belted coatdress, usually paired with a Freddie Fox 'saucer' hat, was one such dress.

It got a lot of use in 1985 and 1986, first appearing without the hat in May 1985 (left), when as President wof Dr. Barnardo's she visited their branch in Liverpool. and also eith the hat at the welcoming ceremony for the state visit of the President of Mexico. (In fact, though, it's entirely possible this dress was ordered and/or planned for the Wales' tour of Italy that April, but never worn. Diana had been getting press criticism about the supposed cost of her wardrobe and ended up wearing a lot of already-seen outfits to Italy, plus Charles was never averse to Diana's buying a lot of her clothes for overseas tours, where the cost was born by the Foreign Office and not him). She added the hat for a visit to Wales and the tour of Australia, both in October, and in December for day engagements in Glasgow. In 1986 it went on the Wales' tour of Canada.(right)



This reproduction for the Franklin Mint Diana, the People's Princess doll is in a cocoa brown Kona cotton, with white cotton collar. It features the scarf, yoked back and French cuffs of the original. It's fully lined in blush to prevent staining, and closes at the front and cuffs with snaps under the 'buttons'.Includes brown pleather belt with buckle, brown pleather purse, and 'saucer' hat with white trim on the brim and a white bow, like the original, on the underthe brim on the back. Brown hose are from Dollsecrets, and the shoes are the basic Franklin Mint plastic ones painted btown.

If interested, please e-mail. Thanks for looking!


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