A piece of wedding cake more than forty years old might not be everyone's dream purchase but for one bidder in Leeds, it's the ultimate auction coup.
A mystery internet buyer from the city has purchased a slice of the Prince and Princess of Wales wedding cake at auction, paying top dollar for the slab - which features a marzipan base and a large piece of icing emblazoned with a sugared onlay of the royal crest.
The bidder forked out nearly £2,000 for the extra mature slice, which comes from one of 23 official wedding cakes released when Charles and Dianna got married in 1981. A serious amount of money to spend on a cake that you (probably) can't actually eat.
The cake was stored wrapped in clingfilm in a floral tin for years / Image: Dominic Winter Auctioneers / PA
The slice was originally given to Moya Smith, who was a member of the Queen Mother's household in residence at Clarence House at the time of the wedding.
She'd begun her career in the kitchen, before moving on to more general duties in the household at the suggestion of Lady Jean Rankin.
Moya preserved the topping with cling film, before storing it in an old floral cake tin labelled "Handle with Care - Prince Charles & Princess Diane's (sic) Wedding Cake" and dated 29/7/81, where it then sat for quite a few years before being sold by her family to a collector in 2008.
Since being sold in 2008, the cake came up for auction once again - this time around the time of what would've been the couple's 40th wedding anniversity.
The fourty-year-old royal wedding cake slice went under the hammer in Gloucestershire on Wednesday, and was initially expected to go for somewhere between £300 and £500.
However, auctioneers were pleasantly surprised to find a huge amount of interest in the cake - which ended up in a flurry of bigs that pushed the final sale price to £1,850.
"We were amazed at the numbers of people wanting to bid on this large and unique piece of royal cake icing," said Chris Albury, of Dominic Winter Auctioneer.
"It seemed to get far more attention than when we sold it with a Charles & Diana thank you letter 13 years ago.
"There were lots of inquiries from bidders, mostly in the UK, USA and several countries in the Middle East.
It's thought that the slice up for auction comes either from the side of a cake, or from the top of a single-tier cake / Image: Dominic Winter Auctioneers / PA
"The bidding started at £300 and with commission bids, the internet and phone bidding, quickly rose to the winning price of £1,850.
"It was bought by an internet bidder in Leeds.
"As yet we haven't had a chance to speak to them to get a reaction or ask why they bought it, but it seems that this was an irresistible piece of royal memorabilia history for many."
Prince Charles and Lady Dianna married in 1981 at St. Paul's Cathedral on July 29 and had a total of 23 wedding cakes at the ceremony.
The couple's centrepiece cake was a five-tiered creation, but there were also some 22 other cakes supplied for the occasion by various bakers.
The cake was sold with a printed ceremonial and order of service programmes for the wedding, as well as a memorial Royal Wedding Breakfast programme for Buckingham Palace.
Feature image - Dominic Winter Auctioneers / PA
News
Female-founded independent jewellery brand to open in Leeds’ Victoria Gate
Norfolk-based jewellery brand Lisa Angel is opening their first Yorkshire site right here in Leeds.
Jewellery and trinket lovers, this one's for you.
Lisa Angel, a female-founded jewellery and gifting brand will open the doors to its new store in Victoria Gate next month.
Shoppers can expect a wonderful range of jewellery, gifts, and accessories that have established a loyal following during more than twenty years of business.
Founded in 2004 by Lisa hand making jewellery which she sold at craft fairs local to her Norfolk home, the business has only gone from strength to strength since.
Image: Supplied
The brand is now a recognised part of the British high street landscape, boasting seven other stores across Norfolk, Suffolk, and the Midlands.
After opening two stores last year and three stores in 2024, Lisa Angel’s founder and Creative Director, Lisa, said: “As an independent retailer, we are thrilled to launch in a destination with such a reputation as Victoria Leeds.
"We believe retail should remain grounded in inspiration and discovery, and we look forward to bringing just that to the vibrant city of Leeds, in our first store in the north.”
Managing Director James Moody explained the significance to the business of opening a new store in a city as influential as Leeds: “We're incredibly excited to be opening our first northern showcase store in such a prestigious location.
"Victoria Leeds represents exactly the kind of vibrant retail destination where we can bring the full Lisa Angel experience to new customers. This is a significant milestone for us as we continue to grow our retail presence."
We'll keep you up to date when we know an opening date, but for now you can check out what to expect here.
Yorkshire residents are being invited to name two new bin lorries
Clementine Hall
Well...this is a new one.
Ever fancied naming a bin lorry? Well today is your lucky day, because now you can.
Yorkshire-based waste management experts Divert are celebrating the arrival of two swanky new tbin rucks by inviting the local community to help name them.
The iconic purple bins, vans and trucks can be seen across the Yorkshire area helping to clean up waste from Bradford to Harrogate.
Two new lorries are set to be joining the fleet in April and May, and of course they need a name.
And who better to ask than the general public? The winning names will be added to the cabs of each of the trucks for all to see, and announced via the Divert website and social media channels.
Absolutely anyone from across the UK is welcome to take part, but the company are especially keen for people from Yorkshire to enter.
You can be as creative as you like, but there are a couple of rules...
No swearing or offensive names. Aside from that, you can let your freak flag fly.
The Divert team are keen to hear the 'best celebrity puns, local namesakes, and downright silly names' the public have to offer.
John Verity, Managing Director of Divert, comments: “Naming our bin trucks is a great way to bring some joy to the local community. We hope to bring a smile to the faces of passing drivers and pedestrians as our fleet passes by.
“Not only that, naming our lorries can help our drivers to take pride and ownership in the vehicles they drive and be a key reminder of our engagement within the community. We’re always keen to employ any initiatives that help the public to engage with us and ensure we’re seen as a friendly face in the area.”
Winners will be voted for by the team internally, and the competition closes at 5 pm on 31 March 2026.
Georgina Pellant -
12th August 2021 
