A piece of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's wedding cake has been auctioned off.Image: Lehman Dancy
A piece of cake from the Queen's wedding has been hidden under the bed since the 1980s. Now it has been auctioned.
Amir Selim/t-online
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According to reports such as the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), the 77-year-old wedding cake of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip was auctioned for 2,200 pounds (approximately 2,500 francs). The fruit cake distributed to 2,000 guests at the wedding had been hidden in a suitcase under the bed for years.
“It’s really a little treasure, a little time capsule of a great cake.”James Grinter of Colchester auction house Reeman Dansie told the BBC. The auction house held the sale.
The work, originally estimated to be worth £500 (560 francs), was purchased over the phone from a Chinese bidder. This special cake was a gift from the then Princess Elizabeth to Marion Poulson, housekeeper at Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh, Scotland, from 1931 to 1969. Poulsen received the cake as a thank you for providing the newlyweds with a “delightful” dessert. Services are given as gifts. She kept the cake until her death in the 1980s, then placed it under her bed with some of her belongings.
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip at their wedding on November 20, 1947Image: trapezoid
The cake was made during rationing
The cake is still in its original display box and comes with a letter from the Queen, dated November 1947. The letter read:
“My husband and I were deeply moved to learn that you gave us such a delightful wedding gift. We were both delighted with the dessert service; I know the different flowers and beautiful colors will be appreciated by everyone.”
Poulsen's Scottish family contacted the auction house earlier this year in the hope of putting the rare piece up for auction. The royal couple's wedding cake on November 20, 1947, consisted of four tiers with added alcohol.
Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip's wedding cake.
Reeman Dansie Royal antiquities expert Grinter told the BBC: “It's very rare that this work retains its original content.” This cake is particularly impressive considering the rationing of the time: “I've seen pictures of it – it takes up half a room; she's absolutely huge.” Nonetheless, Grint said of the auction items: “I don't think I would particularly want to eat it.”
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Elizabeth was born on April 21, 1926 in London. This 1931 photo shows her with her sister Princess Margaret and her mother Elizabeth (the future Queen Mother).
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