For most people, the thought of a cake that’s four decades old is enough to make their stomachs churn. However, when it comes to a royal piece of cake from Prince Charles and Princess Diana‘s wedding day, it turns out that an aging dessert is pretty appealing — just maybe not for your taste buds.
A 28-ounce slice of the iconic wedding cake is going up for auction on August 11, and it could be yours for the price of approximately £500 (nearly $700 USD).
See also: The most beautiful royal wedding gowns and what they cost.
If you’re wondering how the cake has managed to survive for this many years, you may be surprised to discover that the slice has stood the test of time thanks to something your grandparents would likely approve of: some good old-fashioned plastic wrap and being preserved in a decorative tin. This has kept the slice intact since the 1981 nuptials.
Related: Kate Middleton shares adorable new birthday photo of Prince George.
The piece going up on the auction block is decorated with a red, blue and gold royal coat of arms. It was a gift from the Queen Mother to Moyra Smith who, at the time, was one of her employees at Clarence House. Smith sealed up the slice with some cling wrap, tucking it away into an old floral cake tin. She taped a handmade label to the lid, reading: “Handle with Care — Prince Charles & Princess Diane’s [sic] Wedding Cake.”
The dessert stayed within Smith’s family until 2008, when it was acquired by the anonymous collector who is now putting it up for sale.
The cake, which was a fruitcake in keeping with royal tradition, appears to be in good condition; however, don’t pull out your cutlery just yet — Chris Albury, from Gloucestershire’s Dominic Winter Auctioneers (the company auctioning the cake), definitely advises against eating it.
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