Yes, You Really Can Buy A Slice Of Princess Diana's 40-Year-Old Wedding Cake
Royal watchers that long for the era of the late Princess Diana are in for a taste of nostalgia this month when a slice of the original cake served at her 1981 wedding to Prince Charles hits the auction block. And it's likely to sell at a price that doesn't require a royal checkbook. As reported by Food & Wine, Dominic Winters Auctioneers will call for bids on August 11 with gavel expected to come down around $700 for the final winning amount.
Had their marriage endured, Princess Diana and Prince Charles would have celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary on July 29 of this year. And the slice of history is still intact four decades after the royal nuptials thanks to the care of a former royal worker. Moyra Smith, a member of the Queen Mother's household staff, tucked the cake into a floral-printed cake tin along with a handwritten note identifying its contents and advising "Handle with Care." Smith's family did just that until 2008 when they sold the cake-filled tin that's now up for auction again.
It's advised not to actually eat the cake
Listed as Lot 142 by Dominic Winters Auctioneers, the 28-ounce slice of cake features icing and part of the marzipan base from one of 23 official wedding cakes created for Princess Diana and Prince Charles. It's unclear exactly which cake it's from, according to Food & Wine, but they say auctioneers believe this particular slice is likely from the celebratory cake distributed to the Queen Mother's staff at Clarence House.
As for what it looks like, there's a sugared inlay of the Royal Coat-of-Arms in gold, red, blue, and silver that's clearly visible on a white icing background. There's also a small silver horseshoe-and-leaf spray with decorative white icing at the head and foot. The entire slice is encased in cling wrap for protection.
While the cake and its icing appear to have survived relatively unscathed since 1981, the auctioneer does not advise purchasing it for consumption. It's a collector's item, not food. So what do you do with it? Good question. The most prudent course of action may be to tuck it away for another 10 years to see what the return is in 2031, in what would have been the royal couple's golden anniversary year.