Slice of the Queen's wedding cake from when she married Prince Philip in 1947 is set to fetch £500 after being found in a suitcase under a bed

A 77-year-old slice of wedding cake from the marriage of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip which was found in a suitcase under a bed has emerged for sale.

The 'incredibly fragile' slither of the alcohol-laced fruit cake was one of 2,000 dished out to guests at the wedding reception at Buckingham Palace on November 20, 1947.

The Royal couple's lavish cake stood at a whopping 9ft tall and consisted of four tiers.

The slice was sent by Princess Elizabeth to Marion Polson, the Housekeeper at The Palace of Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh from 1931 to 1969.

It was a token of thanks after she had bought the newlyweds a 'delightful' desert service as a wedding gift.

She kept hold of the cake until her death in the 1980s when it was put away in a suitcase under a bed with some of her other belongings.

Her Scottish family recently re-discovered the 4ins by 3ins slice in its original presentation box alongside a letter from Elizabeth on Buckingham Palace paper dated April 1948.

It reads: 'My husband and I are deeply touched to know that you shared in giving us such a delightful wedding present.

'We are both enchanted with the desert service; the different flowers and the beautiful colouring will, I know, be greatly admired by all who see it.'

The slice is going under the hammer at auctioneers Reeman Dansie, of Colchester, Essex, with an estimate of £500.

James Grinter, specialist at Reeman Dansie, said: 'Marion Polson died in the 1980s and the cake has literally been in a suitcase under a bed with her other things since then, until it was sent down from Scotland to us.

'The fact that it has been kept like that and not seen the light of day for many years has probably helped preserve it.

'It is a very rare thing - a time capsule piece - although I wouldn't fancy eating it!'

The royal wedding cake was designed by the chief confectioner at McVitie and Price Ltd - the confectionary firm that is known as McVitie's today.

As rationing from the war was still underway, the ingredients for the 500lb fruit cake had to be flown to the UK from South Africa and Australia, earning it the nickname 'the 10,000 mile cake'.

It was cut by Prince Philip with his ceremonial sword and produced 2,000 slices for guests, with hundreds further sent with hand-written notes to various charities and organisations across the globe.

The sale takes place on November 5.