A slice of one of the most famous weddings in UK history was sold at auction, with eager collectors bidding on a slice of cake from the wedding of King Charles III and Lady Diana Spencer, the Queen of People’s Hearts.
The slice of fruitcake, believed to have come from the centrepiece five-layer cake seen in wedding photographs, was sold for £170, far below the £200-£300 estimate and lower than other slices of cake and other Charles-Diana wedding memorabilia had sold for.
Then-Prince Charles and soon-to-be Princess Diana was a watershed moment for many a wedding photography studio, in no small part due to one of the most famous bridal dresses in wedding history and its vast influence to future indulgent weddings.
The wedding was at the time the fifth most-watched special event in the history of television, behind the 1970 FA Cup Final replay, the splashdown of the Apollo 13 space mission, a documentary on the Royal Family from 1969, and the 1966 World Cup Final when England won in dramatic fashion.
It was not the first-ever televised royal wedding, but it was one of the first weddings that was designed for television with a distinct fairytale indulgence to every aspect of it.
The dress had the longest bridal train in royal wedding history at the time and was punctuated by a famous kiss on the balcony, as well as showcasing several other royal wedding traditions.
What arguably makes it endure further, however, is that behind the beaming smiles and playful poses in the dress, the first sparks of what would end the marriage had already happened, with Diana later revealing that she had been made aware of a longtime affair between King Charles and Queen Camilla.
In terms of viewership, it is the most watched royal wedding in UK television history, and its legend has endured ever since, particularly after Princess Diana tragically died on 31st August 1997.
