Dress worn by the late Queen's bridesmaid (and also Kate Moss) set to fetch £50,000 at auction

One of the dresses worn the Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip's bridesmaids is set to go up for auction.

Lady Elizabeth Longman, who died in 2016 aged 92, was  one of the royal couple's eight bridesmaids and a lifelong friend of the late Queen, wore the white, tulle dress at their Westminster Abbey wedding ceremony on 20 November 1947 which is now being put on sale by Christie's.

The dress, which is expected to reach between £30,000 and £50,000 was later wore by Kate Moss when the supermodel was doing a photo shoot at a stately home where Lady Elizabeth was staying.

With a Bardot neckline, a ruched, silk bodice and a flowing tulle skirt embellished with flowers, the elegant dress remains in near-perfect condition despite the passage of time.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Benedict Winter of Christie's described the 76-year-old gown as being in 'incredibly good condition'. 

Lady Elizabeth Longman, née Lambart, (back row, second from right) was one of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's eight bridesmaids when they married in 1947. The white, tulle bridesmaid's dresses had a Bardot neckline, a ruched, silk bodice and a flowing tulle skirt embellished with flowers

Winter, who looks after the auction house's private collections, added: 'The dress has been much-loved and the family feel it is time to give it to a wider audience.'

Lady Elizabeth was staying at Houghton Hall in 2012 at the same time that Kate was there for a photoshoot for British style magazine Love.

Although several pictures from the shoot were published in an issue of Love - including one of the then 87-year-old Lady Elizabeth in all her finery - the image of a beaming Kate wearing the bridesmaid's dress was held back. 

The previously unseen image of Kate and Lady Elizabeth has been released to support the sale of the dress, which will be auctioned on July 2 in The Exceptional Sale at Christie's. 

Reflecting on the experience, Kate said: 'Meeting Lady Elizabeth and wearing her dress, that had such a wonderful heritage, was a magical moment for me. I felt like I was wearing a piece of history'. 

Prior to the sale, it will be on public display at the auction house's London site. 

Expected to fetch between £30,000 and £50,000, the dress is likely to attract a huge amount of interest from both UK and international bidders. Those those wanting to wear it will need supermodel proportions, with the waist measurement just 24 inches. 

Winter added: 'Christie’s is privileged to be offering this evocative and rare example of royal fashion history.'

Supermodel Kate Moss (pictured in May 2024) had the chance to try on Lady Elizabeth's bridesmaid's dress in 2012 when she was doing a photo shoot at Houghton Hall for Love magazine 

He added: 'I love the photograph because it is the old world meeting the new world – Kate is wearing a remarkable piece of history.' 

It comes as a number of the late Princes Diana's looks, including a Catherine Walker skirt suit and a hat designed by Philip Somerville, will also go up for auction.

Los Angeles-based Julien's Auctions will first tour the garments in an exhibition, before selling them off at The Museum of Style Icons in Ireland.

Some of Diana's most famous and striking ensembles - for example, a Murray Arbeid gown worn twice in 1986, first at the Phantom of the Opera premiere and then to a dinner at Claridge's for King Constantine of Greece - will be on sale. 

Diana also wore the dress when she was photographed by Lord Snowdon in 1997 ahead of a Christie's charity auction. It has an estimate of $200,000 - $400,000.

Also on offer is a pair of bright green satin evening pumps by Kurt Geiger, which the royal wore to a state banquet at the Dorchester Hotel in 1993 - and could bring in $2,000 - $4,000.

Equally, there is an estimate of $200,000 - $400,000 for a Victor Edelstein lace evening dress worn by the princess in Germany, in 1987.

The late Princess Diana's Murray Arbeid gown, which she wore twice in 1986, will be auctioned on June 27

A multi-coloured wide-brim hat sported by Diana during her 1985 Australian Royal Tour is expected to attract offers between $10,000 and $20,000.

A portion of the auction proceeds will go to Muscular Dystrophy UK, the leading charity for those living with one of more than 60 muscle-wasting and weakening conditions.

Julien's Auctions said: 'Diana may have been a princess, but her allure rivaled that of a Hollywood starlet.

'Though she left no films behind, her legacy lives on through the exquisite gowns and accessories that continue to captivate audiences, inviting them to delve deeper into her enigmatic persona.'