After 40 years, Charles and Diana's wedding cake, still wrapped in clingfilm, is going on sale.
The cake portion of icing and marzipan base is decorated with a Royal coat of arms in red, blue and gold. It is believed to have been cut from a cake distributed to staff at Clarence House to thank them for their efforts.
It was given to Moyra Smith, one of the queen's employees at Clarence House, following the 1981 ceremony.
Moyra's family kept it until 2008 when it was acquired by a collector who is selling it with auctioneers Dominic Winter, of Cirencester, Gloucs.
Charles and Diana’s wedding was dubbed the “wedding of the century” and was watched by an estimated global TV audience of 750 million people, with street parties held throughout the UK to celebrate it.
It was reported that, in total, 23 official cakes were made for the wedding, including a centrepiece 1.5m tall layered fruit cake weighing more than 100kg.
The slice, which measures about 20cm by 18cm and weighs almost 80g, has been preserved in clingfilm in an old cake tin for four decades.
The cake tin where the slice has been kept has a note which reads: “Handle with care. Prince Charles and Princess Diane's wedding cake, M.C Smith.”
It is tipped to fetch £500 (about R10 000) when it is sold alongside an order of service for the St Paul's Cathedral wedding and Royal Wedding Breakfast programme.
While many people would be tempted to have a bite from the cake described by auctioneers as a “unique Royal keepsafe”' experts advised against eating it, for health reasons.
Speaking to Daily Mail, Chris Albury, the specialist Royal memorabilia valuer at Dominic Winter, said: “I still wouldn't recommend eating it but, after 40 years, it's clearly destined to last.
“It's a curious and unique keepsake celebrating a royal wedding that holds an enduring fascination with British royalty aficionados worldwide.”
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