Slice of Queen Elizabeth’s 77-Year-Old Wedding Cake Sold for $3K A rare piece of royal history was recently sold for over $3,000, and the fortunate buyer has exciting plans for it. Gerry Layton, 64, acquired a preserved portion of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip’s wedding cake from 1947 at auction for £2,700 (approximately $3,669 USD), as reported by The Telegraph. The auction house, Reeman Danise, described it as one of the few remaining slices of this historic cake.
What makes Layton’s purchase even more remarkable is that he intends to actually consume the 77-year-old confection. The slice, originally 4 inches in size, will be flambéed in rum for a replica state banquet Layton plans to host on the Royal Yacht Britannia for his 65th birthday next year. “I will have a third of it cut off and flambéed in rum so that any bacteria will be killed off,” Layton shared. “But if anything happens to me, then at least I will be going out in style on Britannia.”
Interestingly, Layton is also the owner of a piece of King Charles and Princess Diana’s 1981 wedding cake, establishing him as a collector of royal confectionery. This specific slice of Elizabeth and Philip’s cake was originally in the possession of Chief Petty Officer F. Lownes of the Royal Navy, who passed it down through generations until it was eventually auctioned off to Layton.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were wed on November 20, 1947, nearly six years before she ascended to the throne. The four-tiered masterpiece was dubbed the “10,000-mile cake” due to the international ingredients used in its creation during the food rationing period following World War II. It included butter from New Zealand, flour from Canada, rum from Jamaica, sugar from Barbados, and brandy from South Africa.
This remarkable story was first seen on Parade on July 9, 2025, where it was originally reported.
