A slice of cake from the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer sold for £1,850 ($2,558) at auction in Britain on Wednesday -- with a warning not to eat it.

The 40-year-old slab of marzipan and thick white icing decorated with the royal coat of arms fetched more than three times its asking price of £300 to £500.

"We were amazed at the numbers of people wanting to bid on this large and unique piece of royal cake icing," said auctioneer Chris Albury, a royal memorabilia specialist at Dominic Winter Auctioneers in Cirencester, western England.

"There were lots of enquiries from bidders, mostly in the UK, the USA and several countries in the Middle East," he added in an email.

The successful bidder was named in British media as Gerry Layton from Leeds in the north of England.&nbsp;

"I have always been a monarchist and I had been to see the wedding dress at Kensington Palace," said Layton.

"I thought I would like to add it to my estate, which will be going to charity after my death.

"I will have to think of a way to stop myself from trying to eat it though," he joked.

The cake was originally given to Moyra Smith, who worked for Queen Elizabeth II's mother at her Clarence House residence in central London.

Following Smith's death, her family sold it at the same auction house in 2008 for £1,000 to a private collector, who has now sold it at a profit.

"It appears to be in exactly the same good condition as when originally sold, but we advise against eating it," the auctioneers said.

- 'Handle with care' -

The cake remains as Smith kept it, wrapped in cling film in a cake tin that she labelled "Handle with care" and dated 29 July 1981, the day of the wedding.&nbsp;

The auctioneers said the slice came from a multi-tier cake served to staff at Clarence House, where Smith worked in the kitchen.

Apart from the main wedding cake, there were around 22 other cakes supplied by manufacturers for the royal occasion, the auctioneers said.

Wednesday's lot included order of service and ceremonial programmes for the wedding, a royal wedding breakfast menu and a table seating programme from Buckingham Palace.

Pieces of Charles and Diana's wedding cake still regularly go on sale and interest remains strong despite the break-up of their marriage and divorce in 1996.&nbsp;

A piece of wedding cake in an original commemorative box sold for $2,240 in the United States in December, according to Julien's Auctions.

The sale is the latest example of the continued fascination with Diana, who died aged 36 in a high-speed car crash in Paris in 1997.

In June, her old Ford Escort -- an engagement present from Charles -- was bought by a South American museum for more than £50,000.

In 2019, a midnight blue velvet gown she wore when she danced with John Travolta at the White House in 1985 was put up for sale for between £250,000 and £350,000.

A slice of cake from the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer sold for £1,850 ($2,558) at auction in Britain on Wednesday -- with a warning not to eat it.

A slice of cake from the 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer sold for £1,850 ($2,558) at auction in Britain on Wednesday -- with a warning not to eat it. The 40-year-old slab of marzipan and thick white icing decorated with the royal coat of arms fetched more than three times its asking price of £300 to £500. "We were amazed at the numbers of people wanting to bid on this large and unique piece of royal cake icing," said auctioneer Chris Albury, a royal memorabilia specialist at Dominic Winter Auctioneers in Cirencester, western England. "There were lots of enquiries from bidders, mostly in the UK, the USA and several countries in the Middle East," he added in an email. The successful bidder was named in British media as Gerry Layton from Leeds in the north of England. "I have always been a monarchist and I had been to see the wedding dress at Kensington Palace," said Layton. "I thought I would like to add it to my estate, which will be going to charity after my death. "I will have to think of a way to stop myself from trying to eat it though," he joked. The cake was originally given to Moyra Smith, who worked for Queen Elizabeth II's mother at her Clarence House residence in central London. Following Smith's death, her family sold it at the same auction house in 2008 for £1,000 to a private collector, who has now sold it at a profit. "It appears to be in exactly the same good condition as when originally sold, but we advise against eating it," the auctioneers said. - 'Handle with care' - The cake remains as Smith kept it, wrapped in cling film in a cake tin that she labelled "Handle with care" and dated 29 July 1981, the day of the wedding. The auctioneers said the slice came from a multi-tier cake served to staff at Clarence House, where Smith worked in the kitchen. Apart from the main wedding cake, there were around 22 other cakes supplied by manufacturers for the royal occasion, the auctioneers said. Wednesday's lot included order of service and ceremonial programmes for the wedding, a royal wedding breakfast menu and a table seating programme from Buckingham Palace. Pieces of Charles and Diana's wedding cake still regularly go on sale and interest remains strong despite the break-up of their marriage and divorce in 1996. A piece of wedding cake in an original commemorative box sold for $2,240 in the United States in December, according to Julien's Auctions. The sale is the latest example of the continued fascination with Diana, who died aged 36 in a high-speed car crash in Paris in 1997. In June, her old Ford Escort -- an engagement present from Charles -- was bought by a South American museum for more than £50,000. In 2019, a midnight blue velvet gown she wore when she danced with John Travolta at the White House in 1985 was put up for sale for between £250,000 and £350,000.

A slice of history: Prince Charles and Princess Diana cake sells for £1,850

Britain's Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle are well placed to ride out the media storm around them and avoid the pitfalls that tore apart his parents, Charles and Diana, for the simplest of reasons, Diana's former butler said: They love each other.

Paul Burrell, a longtime royal servant who became Princess Diana's personal assistant and confidante, has watched as Harry has pushed back against media intrusion and sought to protect his wife, the American-born, biracial Duchess of Sussex.

"They (Charles and Diana) didn't have what Harry and Meghan have," Burrell told Reuters on Wednesday. "They didn't have love. And they (Harry and Meghan) love each other. It's quite obvious when you see them together."

Harry's parents, Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Diana, divorced in 1996 after 15 years of largely unhappy marriage, and his mother was killed in a 1997 road accident while being chased by paparazzi.

Burrell, 61, has become a frequent commentator on Diana and the royal family since leaving the palace after Diana's death and was in New York promoting a documentary at a contentious time for Prince Harry.

Harry, 35, said in a recently aired ITV interview that he would "not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum." He and Meghan are also taking legal action against media groups to protect their privacy.

Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton have enjoyed a smoother ride from the palace and the press because their future is largely predetermined, Burrell said.

Prince William, 37, is second in line, after Prince Charles, 70, to the throne of Queen Elizabeth, 93. Harry is sixth in line, behind William's children.

The two brothers are often called "the heir and the spare," which Harry hates, Burrell said, and Harry also admitted to ITV that some distance had grown between them.

"Harry said that (he and William) are on different paths. I know what he means by that. William and Kate have a map in front of them. They're headed for the monarchy," Burrell said, adding that the Queen and Charles have left Harry to find his way.

"There's no guidance. There's no support. There's no rulebook," Burrell said.

To escape the glare, Harry and Meghan are considering buying a home in California, British media have said.

"I hope we don't lose Harry and Meghan (to California) because they are a tremendous asset to the royal family, and to Britain," Burrell said.&nbsp;

Britain's Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle are well placed to ride out the media storm around them and avoid the pitfalls that tore apart his parents, Charles and Diana, for the simplest of reasons, Diana's former butler said: They love each other.

Britain's Prince Harry and wife Meghan Markle are well placed to ride out the media storm around them and avoid the pitfalls that tore apart his parents, Charles and Diana, for the simplest of reasons, Diana's former butler said: They love each other. Paul Burrell, a longtime royal servant who became Princess Diana's personal assistant and confidante, has watched as Harry has pushed back against media intrusion and sought to protect his wife, the American-born, biracial Duchess of Sussex. "They (Charles and Diana) didn't have what Harry and Meghan have," Burrell told Reuters on Wednesday. "They didn't have love. And they (Harry and Meghan) love each other. It's quite obvious when you see them together." Harry's parents, Charles, the Prince of Wales, and Diana, divorced in 1996 after 15 years of largely unhappy marriage, and his mother was killed in a 1997 road accident while being chased by paparazzi. Burrell, 61, has become a frequent commentator on Diana and the royal family since leaving the palace after Diana's death and was in New York promoting a documentary at a contentious time for Prince Harry. Harry, 35, said in a recently aired ITV interview that he would "not be bullied into playing a game that killed my mum." He and Meghan are also taking legal action against media groups to protect their privacy. Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton have enjoyed a smoother ride from the palace and the press because their future is largely predetermined, Burrell said. Prince William, 37, is second in line, after Prince Charles, 70, to the throne of Queen Elizabeth, 93. Harry is sixth in line, behind William's children. The two brothers are often called "the heir and the spare," which Harry hates, Burrell said, and Harry also admitted to ITV that some distance had grown between them. "Harry said that (he and William) are on different paths. I know what he means by that. William and Kate have a map in front of them. They're headed for the monarchy," Burrell said, adding that the Queen and Charles have left Harry to find his way. "There's no guidance. There's no support. There's no rulebook," Burrell said. To escape the glare, Harry and Meghan are considering buying a home in California, British media have said. "I hope we don't lose Harry and Meghan (to California) because they are a tremendous asset to the royal family, and to Britain," Burrell said.

Love will help Harry and Meghan avoid fate of Charles and Diana, ex-butler says

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A slice of history: Prince Charles and Princess Diana cake sells for £1,850

Love will help Harry and Meghan avoid fate of Charles and Diana, ex-butler says