Warhol portraits of Princess Diana and Prince Charles on sale

Two matching portraits of Princess Diana and Prince Charles by pop art icon Andy Warhol have gone on display for the first time since 1982, ahead of being sold, a London gallery said. The paintings show Charles, the heir to the British throne, in naval attire against a blue background. His first wife Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997, wears a formal dress and is pictured against a pink background. They were made using synthetic polymer and silkscreen ink on canvas and marked the couple’s wedding in 1981. They were sold to a private collector that year and have not gone on public sale since then. The set is now on the market for two million pounds (3.1 million dollars, 2.4 million euros), the Opera Gallery said. Warhol, who died in 1987 due to complications following an operation, is regarded as one of the 20th century’s greatest artists.

Some of his most famous images include brightly coloured prints of soup cans and of high-profile figures such as Chinese leader Mao Zedong and Marilyn Monroe.

Jean-David Malat, of the Opera Gallery where the paintings are being shown, said, "Warhol is an artist with whom you never lose money."

Princess Diana's home items to be auctioned

Rare antiques from the ancestral home of Diana, Princess of Wales - including a 12 million pound ($18 million) Rubens portrait from the 17th Century - will be offered for sale this summer.

Christie’s auction house said it will sell about 20 million pounds ($30 million) worth of artifacts from Althorp House, in Northamptonshire, central England.

Althorp - Diana’s childhood home and the site of her burial following her 1997 death - is now occupied by Diana’s brother Earl Charles Spencer. He recently announced his engagement to Lady Bianca Eliot, who will become his third wife.

The auction house said the Spencer family hoped to sell off a variety of valuables to invest the funds raised and protect the long-term future of the stately home.

While none of the lots were purchased by Diana, many have been in her family for centuries — including the Rubens portrait, "Commander Being Armed for Battle," owned by the Spencer family since 1802.

The portrait was painted in 1613 and 1614 and depicts a bearded man, believed to be the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, being fitted with his armor.

"This magnificent work by Rubens is one of the most important works by the artist to remain in private hands in the U.K.," said Richard Knight, of Christie’s. "It is a museum-quality masterpiece and will have wide international appeal."

Other lots include English and French furniture, a mid-17th Century painting by Giovanni Francesco Barbieri and 19th Century horse-drawn carriages.

Christie’s said three auctions will take place in London during the summer.