On July 29, 1981, the world saw a real-life fairytale wedding between Lady Diana Spencer and Prince Charles (now King Charles III). No one could take their eyes off the beautiful bride and the dashing groom. However, this fairytale wedding of Diana and Charles could not end with a ‘They lived happily ever after’. One of the most enchanting weddings in history turned into the most tragic relationship, followed by a messy divorce. As Diana and Charles’ broken marriage completes 44 years, here’s a throwback to the time when a slice of their wedding cake sold for thousands.
A slice of wedding cake from Princess Diana and King Charles’ wedding was sold after four decades
Diana and Charles’s wedding cake from 44 years ago was as royal as they were. The five-tiered fruitcake was covered in ivory-hued icing and decorated with motifs of the British monarchy. Many people were generously given a chance to taste this phenomenal cake. However, there were a few people who saved a slice of this confectionery as a souvenir to remember the special royal day. One of them was Nigel Ricketts, a guest at the wedding.
Nigel was a guest at the wedding and also part of the staff at Windsor Castle. The French polisher had saved a piece of cake from Diana and Charles’ wedding and kept it safe for nearly four decades. As the guest passed away in 2021, the slice of cake was put up for auction. Not only the cake, the buyer was all set to receive the presentation box monogrammed with the bride and groom’s initials ‘CD’ with the wedding date, Charles’ feathers motif, the original wax paper and even the card that reads:
“With best wishes from / The Royal Highnesses / The Prince & Princess of Wales.”
The price at which Diana and Charles’ wedding cake was sold
Nigel Ricketts, the guest who saved the slice of cake, passed away in 2021. Following this, the wedding memorabilia, that is the wedding cake, was put up for auction in 2022. As per a Dore and Rees report, the pre-sale price of the slice was estimated at GBP 300 (Rs. 34,734). However, it was finally sold at a price of GBP 170 (Rs. 19,683). This selling price was shockingly low, since another slice of the wedding cake was sold at GBP 990 (Rs. 1.14 lakh) in 2014.
More about Princess Diana and King Charles’ wedding
On July 29, 1981, Lady Diana Spencer and then-Prince Charles tied the knot in one of the most talked-about weddings of the century. As per a BBC report, their marriage ceremony is still the most watched programme on TV. They got married in St. Paul’s Cathedral in London, and the ceremony followed traditional Church of England rituals. Diana looked as beautiful as ever in her ivory silk wedding gown made up of taffeta and lace fabric. Diana was only 20 years old when she got married to the 32-year-old Charles, the heir to the British throne.
However, their marital life became a subject of controversy after controversy, as incompatibility grew between Diana and Charles, reportedly. The princess grew increasingly unhappy in her marriage, and Charles allegedly had an extramarital affair with Camilla Parker Bowles (now Queen Camilla). Diana even publicly acknowledged the infidelity of her husband and said in a popular interview:
“There were three of us in the marriage. It was a bit crowded.”
Diana and Charles’ divorce
After fifteen years of their marriage, Charles and Diana officially got divorced in 1996. However, they had been living separately for more than a few years at the time. They also shared two sons, Prince William and Harry. A year after the divorce, Princess Diana died at the age of 36 in a road accident. She was with her alleged romantic partner at the time, Fayed Dodi, who was also killed in the car crash. Her funeral was telecast in over 200 countries and was watched by a billion people. Due to the philanthropy and charities done by Princess Diana, people to date mourn her untimely death.
What are your thoughts on Princess Diana and King Charles’ wedding cake being auctioned after over four decades?
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