Princess Beatrice's octopus/cat flap hat raises over $131,000 for charity
 

 

The unlikely star of the Prince William and Kate Middleton's Royal wedding, Princess Beatrice's Philip Treacy-designed hat has been sold.

Taking advantage of the worldwide fascination with the extraordinary accessory (albeit mostly mocking), the Queen's granddaughter put it up for grabs on online auction site eBay. Almost as soon as it went online, bids scrambled up to £11,000 ($18,300), and finally last night the virtual hammer came down on a final price of £81,100.01 ($131,600).

All the proceeds from the hat will go to two charities - UNICEF UK and Children in Crisis, via the Little Bee Initiative which Beatrice set up for the sale - indeed the stylised 'bee' logo is supposed to resemble the hat in shape.

Despite reviews for the hat's style being at best mixed, with wags comparing it variously to a cat flap, toilet seat, octopus and alien amongst other things, the hat's unique and unforgettable style made it perhaps the most desirable piece of memorabilia to come out of the event.

We suggested that this unique piece of royal memorabilia must count as a strong investment, although it may be some time before it could be resold for this amount.

Princess Beatrice herself said of the hat, "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."

Check out our favourite five hats from the world of collecting.

Join our readers in over 200 countries around the world - sign up for your free weekly Collectibles Newsletter today 

Register to receive more in-depth articles from our dedicated team.

Register Here

Featured products

Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Elvis Presley Authentic Strand of Hair
Sale price£399
In stock
Fidel Castro signed certificateFidel Castro Signed Certificate
Fidel Castro signed certificate
Sale price£2,995
In stock
King Henry VIII Autographed DocumentKing Henry VIII Autographed Document
King Henry VIII Autographed Document
Sale price£55,000
In stock