A Forgotten 77-Year-Old Slice of Cake From Queen Elizabeth's Wedding Was Found Under a Bed

Decades ago, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip celebrated their royal wedding with several cakes at their post-ceremony breakfast, with the star of the show being a towering nine-foot fruitcake, adorned with delicate sugar designs. Nearly 77 years later, one of those original slices surfaced at an auction in Colchester, England, fetching an impressive price. The piece of cake was found tucked away in a suitcase under a bed, and it was one of the 2,000 servings handed out to guests at the Buckingham Palace reception on November 20, 1947.

The slice of cake was gifted to Marion Polson, who served as housekeeper at the Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh from 1931 to 1969, as a gesture of thanks for presenting the newlyweds with a wedding gift of dessert service. As reported by The Times, Marion kept the cake for the rest of her life, storing it in a suitcase under her bed along with other personal items after her passing. It was only recently uncovered in its original presentation box, accompanied by a letter from Queen Elizabeth, dated April 1948, on Buckingham Palace paper. As reported by BBC, the letter read, “My husband and I are deeply touched to know that you shared in giving us such a delightful wedding present."

It added, “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.” James Grinter, from Colchester-based auction house Reeman Dansie, said, “The fact that it has been kept like that and not seen the light of day for many years has probably helped preserve it. It is a very rare thing, a time capsule piece — although I wouldn’t fancy eating it.” The cake, initially estimated to sell for £500, was unexpectedly bought by a phone bidder from China for nearly $3,000.

When Elizabeth and Philip's wedding cake was initially revealed, it made a big impression and continues to have an impact even today. With the couple's monograms, naval insignia, the coat of arms from both families, figurines that symbolized their common hobbies, and lucky charms, the design was full of symbolism. Additionally, given that the ceremony took place shortly after World War II, the towering cake—crafted with rare ingredients from across the globe—was a striking rarity during that era, as reported by Brides.

Philip was the one who cut the cake with his ceremonial sword, and its pieces were sent across the globe, accompanied by handwritten notes to various charities and organizations. Crafted by Fred Schur, the chief confectioner at McVitie & Price, the royal wedding cake earned the title "the 10,000-mile cake." In 2013, a slice of this iconic cake was sold at auction for £560. Meanwhile, a piece of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s wedding cake fetched an impressive £1,917 when it first appeared at auction in May 2011, as reported by the Daily Mail.