Members of the British royal family on the balcony at Buckingham Palace after the wedding of Princess Elizabeth and Philip Mountbatten (later Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh), London, 20th November 1947. Picture: Gallo Images
A “very rare” slice of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s wedding cake just sold at auction for R50 000. The fruitcake, stashed away for 77 years, was discovered in a suitcase under a bed.
The cake slice, part of the original 2.7m dessert was given by then-princess Elizabeth to Marion Polson. Polson worked as a housekeeper at The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh from 1931 to 1969.
James Grinter from Reeman Dansie Auction House in Colchester called it “a real little find, a time capsule of glorious cake.” Although expected to sell for around R11 000, a bidder from China scooped it up over the phone, the BBC reported.
Polson was given a slice of cake as a thank-you for gifting the newlyweds a “delightful” dessert set.
The sliver of alcohol-laced fruit cake was one of 2,000 dished out to guests at the wedding reception at Buckingham Palace on 20 November 1947, The Times reported.
Polson kept it until her death in the 1980s. It was then stored under a bed with some of her belongings.
The cake remained in its original presentation box and came with a letter from the late queen, dated November 1947. It read:
“My husband and I are deeply touched to know that you shared in giving us such a delightful wedding present.
“We are both enchanted with the dessert service. The different flowers and the beautiful colouring will, I know, be greatly admired by all who see it,” according to Mail Online.
The royal wedding cake, created by the head baker at McVitie’s (then McVitie and Price Ltd), was no ordinary dessert.
Weighing a massive 226 kg, the fruitcake was made with ingredients flown in from South Africa and Australia, as food rationing was still in effect after the war. It became known as the “10,000-mile cake” due to its far-flung ingredients.
Prince Philip cut the cake with his ceremonial sword, and it yielded 2,000 slices for the guests. Hundreds more pieces, accompanied by hand-written notes, were sent to charities and organisations around the world.
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