Slice of Charles and Diana's wedding cake sells for over $2,500 in UK

By Karim El-Bar

LONDON (AA) – A slice of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding cake was sold at an auction for £1,850 ($2,565).

Gerry Layton, a dedicated supporter of the royal family from Leeds, bought it Thursday for his collection of royal memorabilia.

The slice includes both the icing topping, which is designed with a sugar design of the royal coat of arms, and the marzipan base.

It is over 40 years old, dating back to July 29, 1981. It was given as a gift to Moya Smith, a member of the late queen mother’s staff. Smith preserved the slice of cake with cling film.

Bidders from across the world tried to secure the slice of cake, which was originally expected to fetch the less princely sum of £300 to £500 ($415-$692). Most of the bidders came from the UK, US, and the Middle East.

Layton was quoted by local media as saying: “I thought I would like to add it to my estate, which will be going to charity after my death.’

“I also thought that I could put it up as a raffle prize with some of the money going to Centrepoint, which Princess Di was patron of,” he added, referring to a charity benefiting young homeless people.

Charles and Diana were wed in London’s St. Paul’s Cathedral on July 29, 1981. The erstwhile fairy tale wedding had a global television audience of 750 million in 74 countries, according to the BBC. For attendees of the nuptials, over 20 wedding cakes were supplied by a number of companies.

The couple separated in 1992, and divorced in 1996. Diana died in a car crash in Paris in 1997.