The shirt worn by Colin Firth when he crossed fields dripping wet after a swim in the lake during the BBC adaptation of Pride And Prejudice has sold for £20,000 (€23,396) at a charity auction in London.
The shirt smashed its estimate of £7,000 to £10,000.
Oscar-winner Firth played Fitzwilliam Darcy in the 1995 BBC adaptation of Jane Austen's novel, opposite Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth Bennet - who is surprised when she visits his estate, Pemberley, to find him wet and not properly dressed.
The moment has been re-imagined in Netflix series Bridgerton, when British actor Jonathan Bailey steps out of a lake, and was also referenced in Bridget Jones’s Diary, which stars Firth as another Mr Darcy, a nod to his portrayal by writer Helen Fielding.
The costume was donated by Cosprop, a costume house founded by Oscar and Bafta-winning designer John Bright in 1965, to raise funds for The Bright Foundation, an arts education charity founded by Bright.
The winning buyer will pay £25,000 for the piece of television history when the 25% buyer’s premium is included.
The auction, held on Monday and hosted by Kerry Taylor Auctions in London, raised £285,300.
A vintage 1950s Christian Dior taffeta ball gown, worn by Madonna in 1996’s Evita, sold for £40,000, while Johnny Depp’s Sleepy Hollow costume fetched £24,000.
Bright said: "My life’s work has been committed to costume design for film, TV and theatre and I feel incredibly fortunate to have been able to pursue this path.
"It is my firmly-held belief that the arts and creativity can shape happier and healthier children and enable young people to reach their full potential."
Source: Press Association
