Princess Diana’s favourite scent: Hermès 24 Faubourg

Tomorrow, August 31, 2012, marks the 15^th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death. She was a woman of great style and grace, and in recognition of her appreciation of fashion and beauty, we pay tribute today to her taste in fragrance.

It was the late Princess’s butler, Paul Burrell, who recounted one evening on CNN in an interview with Larry King, that Hermès 24 Faubourg was one of the young woman’s favourite perfumes.

Indeed the warm, creamy and luxurious scent, which was created in 1995 by perfumer Maurice Roucel and named for the address of the Hermès flagship store in Paris, seems well suited to the Royal. And apropos to that elegant locale, the chypre is a timeless composition, reportedly containing orange blossom, jasmine, tiara flower, ylang ylang, iris, patchouli, vanilla, ambergris and sandalwood. (It must be noted that the iconic French house resists defining the exact notes).

Past ad slogans for the perfume likewise remind us of the modern-day princess, whose passing caused such universal sadness. 24 Faubourg, Hermès:  “The secret world where every woman is a sun.”

Hermès 24 Faubourg, EDT $110 (50 ml); EDP $260 (15 ml), www.hermes.com