A rare and tangible piece of royal history is poised to find a new owner. A magnum of champagne served at the iconic 1981 wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer will be sold at auction later this month.
A Taste of Royal History
The bottle, a large-format magnum, was part of the celebration for one of the most watched weddings of the 20th century. The auction house Bruun Rasmussen in Kongens Lyngby, near Copenhagen, Denmark, will handle the sale. Thomas Rosendahl Andersen, head of the wine department at the auction house, presented the bottle to media on November 28, 2025.
This champagne offers a direct, albeit liquid, connection to the lavish ceremony at St. Paul's Cathedral on July 29, 1981. The wedding captivated a global television audience estimated at 750 million people, making any associated artifact highly coveted by collectors of royal memorabilia.
The Auction and Its Significance
While the exact estimated sale price was not disclosed in the initial announcement, such items typically generate significant interest and high bids. The auction presents a unique opportunity to acquire an object that symbolizes a specific moment in time, before the fairy-tale narrative of Charles and Diana's union became complicated by later personal difficulties.
The sale underscores the enduring public fascination with the late Princess Diana, whose style and humanitarian work left a lasting legacy. Memorabilia connected to her, especially from pivotal life events like her wedding, consistently holds substantial value in the collectors' market.
A Collector's Ultimate Prize
This champagne magnum is more than just a vintage drink; it is a sealed capsule of cultural history. For serious collectors of royal or 20th-century historical items, winning this lot would represent a major acquisition. The bottle's journey from the royal wedding tables to an auction house in Denmark also adds an intriguing layer to its provenance.
The upcoming auction will determine the new custodian of this effervescent piece of the past, ensuring that the story of Charles and Diana's wedding day continues to be told, one carefully preserved bottle at a time.
