A Major Royal Family Item Was Auctioned Off

When Princess Diana died in a tragic car accident on Aug. 31, 1997, the world was shaken by the devastating loss of such an iconic woman in history. That in mind, it's a little jarring to hear that now, 17 years after her death, a slice of Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s wedding cake was sold at an auction on Thursday, Aug. 28.

The slice of cake, which was still in its original box since it was placed there 33 years ago, was sold to a private collector for $1,375. Although it’s reassuring to know that this was an official auction and the bidder who won is a genuine collector, it’s disheartening to think that something so personal and historical was sold off for money rather than kept in the family.

Yes, Prince Charles and Princess Diana were no longer married at the time of her death, but it's still a major part of the royal family's history — and, after all, despite the messy relationship and alleged affairs surrounded the marriage, Princess Diana was still the mother of Prince William and Prince Harry, and it seems unfair that a memento of their mother’s was sold off to be part of an individual’s personal collection.

Is royal cake collecting even a thing?

Of course, it's likely that everyone in the royal family approved of the auction (I doubt it would go ahead if they hadn't) but even so — it still just feels wrong that such an item was sold off.