Vintage collectibles have always been prized, but a slice of royal wedding cake? That’s something truly extraordinary! A piece of cake from the 1947 royal wedding of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip recently sold for £2,200 (around Rs 2,39,915) at an auction. The 77-year-old fruitcake, a remnant of the original 9ft-tall, four-tier masterpiece, came with a personal thank-you letter from Queen Elizabeth. The rare slice, soaked in alcohol and served to over 2,000 guests at the iconic celebration, was gifted to Marion Polson, the housekeeper at The Palace of Holyroodhouse.
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Seventy-seven years later, the slice — now mouldy — was discovered in a suitcase under a bed in Scotland. But it was still intact in its original presentation box when Marion Polson’s family found it. The slice was laid out on a brown wooden table, accompanied by a letter from the Queen, bearing her signature “Elizabeth.”
The letter read: “My husband and I are deeply touched to know that you shared in giving us such a delightful wedding present. We are both enchanted with the dessert service; the different flowers and the beautiful colouring will, I know, be greatly admired by all who see it.”
Marion Polson was gifted the slice of cake as a thank-you for buying a “delightful dessert service” for the newlyweds, as reported by the BBC. She kept the piece safe until her death in the 1980s. Since then, the rare slice was stashed under a bed with some of her belongings. Earlier this year, her family in Scotland reached out to auctioneers, and the cake was initially valued at £500 (Rs 54,526).
The bidding sparked interest from around the globe, with a Chinese bidder securing the slice over the phone amid fierce competition.
Finally, the royal slice was put up for auction, and Royal expert James Grinter from Colchester-based auction house Reeman Dansie described the item as “a real little find.”
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Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip got married on November 20, 1947.
