Piece of Cake from Royal Wedding Set for Auction



It is the only slice of cake that you would not buy to eat.
That is because this is a piece of cake that belongs to the Royal Wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, celebrated by the nation and the world on 29 April 2011.

The iconic piece of dessert is set to go under the hammer (a metaphoric hammer, thankfully) as part of the Printed Books and Manuscripts auction at Chiswick Auction on 27 September. It is expected to fetch anything between £800-£1200.

The iconic souvenir is part of a very complicated fruit cake, baked especially for the occasion by cake-maker Fiona Cairns.

Inspired by the Duchess’s creative ideas, the cake was covered in white fondant and decorated with 900 delicate sugar-paste flowers. The penultimate tier and the top cake feature the four flowers of the home nations: English rose, Scottish thistle, Welsh daffodil and Irish shamrock.

Baked with a secret recipe, the cakemaker had revealed at the time some of the ingredients used, which included dried fruits, cherries, grated oranges and lemon and French brandy.

The royal cake had a nod to its venue, the Buckingham Palace Picture Gallery.

Speaking ahead of the royal wedding, Ms Cairns explained how the design of the cake was inspired by the architecture of the room.

She said, “The picture gallery has high ceilings and is an imposing room, so I wanted the cake to have presence but not to be imposing, and I think it worked.

“We reflected some of the architectural details in the room, so the garlands on the walls were reproduced loosely on the fourth tier – we’ve used roses, acorns, ivy leaves, apple blossom and bridal rose.”

The winning bidder will be presented with the cake with its specially commissioned cream and gilt commemorative tin. Also included is a printed card that reads, “With best wishes from TRH The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall in celebration of the wedding of TRH The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.”

This is not the royal piece of cake to be auctioned. In 2014, a similar portion sold for $7500.