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Talk about icing on the cake.
A slice of royal wedding history was sold off for 1,000 pounds ($1,830) at auction. A piece of wedding cake from Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's ceremony in 1981 was sold by a former royal servant, who had kept it wrapped in clingfilm in an attic for the past 27 years.
The large, 23 cm (9 inch) slice of cake icing, with a marzipan base, came from one of 23 official wedding cakes and was given to Moyra Smith who worked for the Queen Mother at Clarence House.
“When the cake arrived at Clarence House Moyra was told she could have a slice from the top tier to keep for herself,” said Diana memorabilia specialist auctioneer Chris Albury of Dominic Winter Book Auctions. “This piece is special because it was from the cake sent to the Queen Mother at Clarence House. Moyra must have been very well thought of by the Royal Family to have been given this slice from the top of the cake.”
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The auction house, based in Gloucestershire, described the white icing as having a sugared onlay of the royal coat-of-arms colored in gold, red, blue and silver, with a small silver horseshoe and leaf spray.
The cake was sold on Wednesday to an unnamed bidder along with a typed letter signed by “Charles and Diana” thanking Mrs. Smith for her contribution towards a clock they were given as a wedding present.
The royal couple divorced in 1996.
In 1998, a year after the princess died in a Paris road crash, a similar slice sold for 17,000 pounds.
The auctioneer said the late Mrs. Smith, a Scottish woman, worked at Clarence House, first in the kitchen and then moving to more general duties, and it was here that she was given the cake which was put up for sale by her family.
Her husband Donald told British media that his wife died last month, aged 78, and it was her wish for the cake to be sold after her death, with the money raised to go to charity.
Slideshow: Princess Diana's life
“She worked there for five years in all, from 1981 to 1986, and we had some happy times.”
The auction house also sold three autographed letters from Diana for between 740 pounds and 620 pounds ($1,350-$1,135).
The most expensive one was dated Dec. 17, 1990, and addressed to Eileen and Tracey.
It read: “I was so very touched by all the lovely bottles that were in my Christmas bag today! Thank you both a million times for thinking of me. 1990 was the year that we met. At last, (!) & how wonderful our friendship was (& is) been. With special thanks & fondest love to you both.”
Tracey is believed to be the daughter of Jo Malone, owner of a beauty products business based in London.
© 2013 MSNBC Interactive
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