Kate Middleton's dress sells for 78,000

A dress worn by the future British queen, Kate Middleton, in a university fashion show has sold at auction for £78,000.

The see-through woollen outfit - originally designed by fashion student Charlotte Todd as a skirt - raised seven times the estimated price at the Passion for Fashion event in Central London, with the winning bidder only known as 'Nick from Jersey'.

Asked about the buyer, the man who bid for him via telephone said: "He thinks it's an iconic piece and is very happy with the purchase."

Kate wore the dress while taking part in a charity fashion show at St Andrew's University, Scotland, and it is believed that is when Prince William - who will marry the former junior fashion buyer on April 29 - decided to take their relationship to a romantic level.

A gown worn by the prince's late mother Princess Diana on a state visit to France sold for £30,000 at the sale, while a Louis Vuitton vanity case owned by the Duchess of Windsor made £48,000.