A Slice of History: The 80-Year-Old Royal Wedding Cake Goes Up for Sale
A unique piece of history, a slice of the royal wedding cake from Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip’s 1947 marriage, has recently been sold for £27,000. This particular piece is one of the original 2,000 slices made for the grand event and has remained untouched for nearly eight decades.
The cake, which was part of a massive 9ft-long creation, was originally given to Chief Petty Officer F. Lownes, a member of the Royal Navy, during the Buckingham Palace reception. It measured 4 inches by 3 inches and was never consumed. Instead, it was passed down through generations, eventually ending up in the hands of Mr. Lownes’ daughter-in-law.
The slice was kept in its original packaging, which included a silver embossed crown 'EP' cypher and the date on the lid. The box also bore the words "On His Majesty's Service," referencing King George VI, the father of the bride. This piece of cake has now been auctioned off and purchased by Gerry Layton, a royal enthusiast and entrepreneur.
Layton, who is 64 years old and also owns a piece of Charles and Diana’s wedding cake, plans to eat about a third of this rare slice at a replica state banquet he intends to hold on the Royal Yacht Britannia. This event will coincide with his 65th birthday next year. He plans to flambe the cake in rum before consuming it, a method that would kill any potential bacteria.
“This slice is extremely rare and is probably the last piece of Queen Elizabeth II's wedding cake in existence,” Layton said. “It is in good condition having been wrapped and kept in its box for almost 80 years. I hope to hire Britannia and have a replica state banquet there at my cost. I will have a third of it cut off and flambeed in rum so that any bacteria will be killed off. But if anything happens to me then at least I will be going out in style on Britannia.”
The slice was sold by Reeman Dansie Auctioneers of Colchester, Essex, for a hammer price of £2,000, but with additional fees, the total came to £2,900. James Grinter, a specialist at Reeman Dansie, commented on the rarity of such items, stating that they don't often come up for sale. He noted that the cake was sold directly from the family of the person who received it in 1947.
“It was a tradition that certain Royal Navy personnel were sent a piece of wedding cake,” Grinter explained. “Mr. Lownes kept hold of it and left it to his son. It had been sitting in a drawer for many years, and the vendor, Mr. Lownes’ daughter-in-law, never thought it would be that valuable. She was delighted by the result.”
The royal wedding cake was designed by the chief confectioner at McVitie and Price Ltd. Due to ongoing rationing after the war, the ingredients for the 500lb fruit cake had to be flown to the UK from South Africa and Australia, earning it the nickname "the 10,000 mile cake." The cake was cut by Prince Philip using his ceremonial sword and produced 2,000 slices for guests. Additional slices were sent to various charities and organizations around the world, each accompanied by hand-written notes.
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