A 77-Year-Old Slice of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip's Wedding Cake Just Sold for $3,000 at Auction

Although the late Queen Elizabeth II and the late Prince Philip had 11 royal wedding cakes at their post-ceremony breakfast on November 20, 1947, the main confection—a nine-foot-tall, 500-pound, four-tiered fruitcake with intricate sugar work—definitely stole the show. The elaborate dessert produced 2,000 slices of cake, which were distributed to their 146 guests and later to charities, hospitals, schools, and other organizations. Nearly 77 years after the royal affair, one of those slices ended up at an auction house in Colchester, England, Reeman Dansie, and sold for nearly $3,000.

According to BBC, who reported the news on November 5, 2024, after her wedding, the former monarch gifted a piece of her confection to Marion Polson, the housekeeper at The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh, Scotland—a role that she filled from 1939 to 1969—as a token of gratitude for buying Philip and her a “delightful” dessert service. The publication noted that Polson stored the cake (and some of her other belongings) in a suitcase underneath her bed. 

After Polson’s death in the 1980s, her family became the owners of the famed slice. Earlier in 2024, the late housekeeper’s relatives decided to auction off the piece, so they contacted auctioneers at Reeman Dansie. Although the slice of royal cake was expected to go for about $650, it sold for nearly $3,000. BBC reported that a bidder from China, who more than quadrupled the estimated price, purchased the piece over the phone. “It's a real little find, a little time capsule of glorious cake," said James Grinter, managing director and royal expert of Reeman Dansie.

When the bidder received the auction lot, the cake arrived in its original presentation box from 1947, accompanied by a note from the late queen herself—which she signed in her handwriting and dated November 1947. According to BBC, the letter 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."

Grinter explained that this slice of cake was the first one that sold under the hammer “in its completeness,” meaning it maintained its initial presentation. "This one actually has its original contents, which is very, very rare,” he explained to the publication. However, because the cake was made 77 years ago and hadn’t been frozen, it’s no longer edible. "I don't think I'd particularly want to eat it, I must admit,” he said.

Regardless, Elizabeth and Philip’s wedding cake made a huge impact when it was served in 1947 and continues to be an influential dessert to this day. The cake's design made an impression by boasting the coat of arms of the couple’s respective families, the newlyweds’ monograms, naval budges, figurines partaking in their favorite activities, and symbols of prosperity. Plus, since the ceremony took place in the aftermath of World War II, the towering confection, made with ingredients sourced from around the world, wasn’t a frequent sight to see at the time. “Bear in mind it was produced at a time of rationing,” Grinter noted. “They had the most magnificent cake made for them. I've seen photographs of it. It would fill half a room; it was absolutely enormous."