If you’re a royal family fan you probably already know there’s a lot of collectable memorabilia out there for you to explore. But this new offering literally takes the cake. By Stacey Leasca
On August 11, Dominic Winter Auctioneers is selling off a large slice of cake cut from one of the 23 official cakes at the wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana in 1981.
“This layer of cake icing was given to Moyra Smith, an employee to the Queen Mother at Clarence House,” the auction house explains. “Moyra began her career at Clarence House in the kitchen before moving on to more general duties on the recommendation of Lady Jean Rankin. Besides the main official five-tier wedding cake, some 22 other wedding cakes were supplied by various manufacturers and this seems likely to have been one sent to Clarence House for the consumption of the Queen Mother’s staff. In view of its size, it is most likely that it was either from the side of a cake or from the top of a single-tier cake.”
The cake, it further notes, comes emblazoned with the Royal Coat-of-Arms in gold, red, blue, and silver. There is also a small silver horseshoe and leaf spray, along with white decorative icing tracery laid on top.
How did a 40-year-old cake last this long? According to the auction house, it was preserved in cling film and supported on a card and tin foil base “in an old cake tin with hand-made manuscript paper label signed by Moyra Smith taped to the lid.”
“It appears to be in exactly the same good condition as when originally sold, but we advise against eating it, and the royal letter and bottle of commemorative beer that accompanied the lot are not present,” the auction house added in a cheeky caption. “However, included here are printed Ceremonial and Order of Service programs for the wedding in St Paul’s Cathedral, and a memorial Royal Wedding Breakfast programme for Buckingham Palace, all 29 July 1981.”
Sale day attendance for this auction is by appointment only. View more about the cake from Princess Diana’s wedding and make an appointment here.
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