Mad Hatter? Beatrice's Bonnet Sells For £81k
Princess Beatrice's outlandish royal wedding hat has sold for £81,100 in an internet auction.
Proceeds from the sale of the unique Philip Treacy headpiece, described on auction site eBay as being made of "delicate tea rose silk", will go to two charities nominated by the princess.
The 22-year-old sparked controversy on her cousin Prince William's wedding day by donning the eccentric creation, which has since been compared to a toilet seat, a cat flap and a Turkey Twizzler.
Her decision to post it on eBay led to a flurry of bids being placed.
Bidding was interrupted when what the website called "a technical issue" led to the auction being suspended on Saturday, however.
The site was later back up and running with a starting price of £80,000 - and as of 3am on Sunday, the top bid by an anonymous buyer was £80,200.
All the money raised will go to Unicef and Children In Crisis via the Little Bee Initiative, which was set up by Beatrice specifically for the auction.
In a nod to the quirky design, the logo for Little Bee features a stylised drawing of the hat.
Pictures poking fun at the hat have been included on the eBay page, including one submitted by a member of the public showing Star Trek characters holding the item and saying: "Fascinators on stun."
Beatrice commented on the site: "I've been amazed by the amount of attention the hat has attracted.
"It's a wonderful opportunity to raise as much money as possible for two fantastic charities.
"I hope whoever wins the auction has as much fun with the hat as I have."
The description on the auction site calls the hat a "unique sculptural celebratory headpiece".
Treacy himself said he had been "surprised by the overwhelming response" to his hat.
A spokeswoman for Children in Crisis said: "We are absolutely delighted, it's so exciting.
"Children in Crisis and Unicef are so happy that Princess Beatrice chose to benefit our two charities doing this fantastic auction."
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