The silk chiffon evening dress is among 79 dresses that Diana auctioned off for charity at Christie's in New York in June 1997, just two months before she died in a car crash in Paris.

The dress, a strapless bodice made of draped and tucked silk designed by Catherine Walker, is one of four of Diana's dresses owned by the WE television network and was due to go on sale on eBay on Sunday, the New York Daily News reported.

The bidding was to start at around 300,000 dollars and proceeds from the sale were to go to America's Promise Alliance -- a charity dedicated to helping disadvantaged children stay in school, the report said.

"Princess Diana is one of the most beloved icons of the 20th century, not only because of her beautiful style but also her role as a mother and her dedication to charity," Kim Martin, general manager of WE TV, told the paper.

The network originally bought the dress for under 100,000 dollars.

"We'd love for the person who buys the dress to be somebody who recognizes all the great things that Princess Diana stood for. And hopefully, their goal is to keep Diana's spirit alive," Martin said.

The auction is due to end on August 22, according to the report.

译文：

包括这件丝绸晚礼服在内的79件戴安娜王妃生前穿过的礼服曾于1997年6月在纽约克利斯蒂拍卖行被拍卖，当时距戴妃在巴黎车祸中丧生的仅有两个月。

据《纽约每日新闻》报道，这件由凯瑟琳•沃尔克设计的无肩带褶皱丝绸礼服是WE电视网拍下的四件戴妃礼服中的一件，将于本周日在eBay网上被拍卖。

据报道，这件礼服的起价约为30万美元，全部拍卖收入将捐给美国Promise Alliance残疾儿童助学慈善机构。

WE电视网的总经理基姆•马汀在接受《纽约每日新闻》报采访时说：“戴安娜王妃是20世纪最受爱戴的偶像之一，这不仅因为她美丽优雅，她还是一位好母亲，并为慈善事业做出了很大贡献。”

WE电视网当时以不到10万美元的价格拍下了这件礼服。

马汀说：“我们希望这件礼服的新主人是一个能够明白戴安娜王妃伟大之处的人。希望他们能让戴安娜的精神永存。”

据报道，此次拍卖将于8月22日结束。