Iconic Indiana Jones whip once owned by Princess Diana sells at auction for jaw dropping amount

One of the most famous props in cinema history that was previously owned by Princess Diana sold at auction yesterday during a week of fat cats splashing ridiculous cash on nostalgic items.

The headline sale was the iconic bullwhip that was strapped to Harrison Ford’s waist in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, with one bidder snapping it up for a staggering $809,000.

A hefty price tag to become the newest owner of the whip, which was used during the Holy Grail trials that Ford’s character goes through at the climax of 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.

The whip has a royal background, with Ford giving it to Prince Charles, who then gifted it to Princess Diana. The princess passed it over it to the current anonymous owner, who is now much richer after selling it at the Summer Entertainment Auction being held all week by Heritage Auctions.

“The bull whip is the iconic symbol of an iconic character of cinema history, Indiana Jones, and has been a highlight of this auction,” Heritage executive vice-president Joe Maddalena said.

The auction of famous movie props have been going for the past week, with the biggest sale coming on Wednesday after the Rosebud sled from Citizen Kane went for a staggering $22.6 million, making it one of the priciest props in movie history.

Heritage said the nearly $US15 million bid for the Rosebud sled puts it second only to the near $50 million that Judy Garland’s ruby slippers from The Wizard of Oz fetched in December.

If your pockets are feeling heavy, there are still plenty of items up for sale including Macaulay Culkin’s knit snow cap from Home Alone, a Kurt Russell revolver from Wyatt Earp, a pair of Hattori Hanzo prop swords from Kill Bill Vol. 1 and a first edition set of Harry Potter novels signed by JK Rowling.

-with AP