Ghouls cash in on The Crown by flogging locks of Diana's hair, a slice of wedding cake and her funeral order of service as eBay searches skyrocket

There has long been a thriving trade in Royal memorabilia, and in particular anything linked to the late Princess Diana.

But today, business is booming on an almost unprecedented scale thanks to the new season of The Crown, which focuses on her turbulent marriage to Prince Charles.

Searches for ‘Princess Diana’ on eBay rocketed by 73 per cent after the series was released in November, with buyers especially interested in items linked to her impeccable fashion sense.

Searches for 'Princess Diana' on eBay rocketed by 73 per cent after the new series of The Crown was released in November, which focuses on her turbulent marriage to Prince Charles

And one leading dealer in Royal memorabilia told The Mail on Sunday the phone had been ‘ringing off the hook’ since the Netflix drama was released. 

Such demand among a new generation of fans means the market value of some items has risen fivefold since the show began.

But amid the mass-produced memorabilia lurks a raft of more ghoulish, and more personal objects for sale. 

From half-nibbled slices of wedding cake to alleged locks of her hair, opportunistic sellers are determined to cash in. 

Here we reveal just some of the unsettling items on offer.

A real Royal hair-loom?

One US dealer sold these strands of hair for nearly £300 in October insisting that he could proved the strands were authentic pieces of Diana's locks 

One US dealer sparked outrage when he sold these strands of hair for nearly £300 in October. 

He had ten pages of documents which he insisted proved the strands were authentic, with Diana said to have taped them to a book inscribed ‘My Lock, Diana 1995’. The book wasn’t included in the lot.

One expensive memento mori

The order of service for Princess Diana’s funeral in September 1997 is for sale at £4,500

This ‘ultra-rare original’ order of service for Princess Diana’s funeral in September 1997 was handed to one of the mourners attending the Westminster Abbey service. 

The piece of history to be ‘treasured, revered and remembered’, according to the eBay description, is for sale at £4,500. Copies are £30.

A big Christmas bonus

This Christmas card featuring William, ten, and Harry, eight, is on sale for £1,250 on eBay

Dated 1992, the ‘annus horribilis’ in which Charles and Diana split, this card featuring William, ten, and Harry, eight, and addressed simply ‘To you both’ gives nothing away. 

Yours for £1,250 on eBay.

Part-eaten wedding cake

A piece of Charles and Diana's wedding cake complete with original cream cheese frosting and a rose of yellow icing is on sale for £180

Charles and Diana donated the top tier of their wedding cake to the Duchy of Cornwall estate office in South London. 

A staff member’s daughter is now selling a partly nibbled slice of the fruitcake, left, complete with original cream cheese frosting and a rose of yellow icing for £180. 

Sadly, it’s inedible.

By Royal invitation...

A personal wedding invitation set to Charles and Diana’s 1981 wedding is on sale for £1,999.95

A full invitation to Charles and Diana’s 1981 wedding, including tickets to St Paul’s Cathedral, order of service, right, and even car park passes, was originally sent to Mr T. Langley and his wife, personal friends of Prince Charles. 

It is on eBay for £1,999.95.

‘Shame Bike’ peddled

A blue Raleigh Traveller bicycle, later dubbed ‘the Shame Bike’ ridden by newly-engaged Diana is on sale fro £20,000

When Diana was freshly engaged to Prince Charles, pictures appeared in the newspapers of her riding around Kensington on a blue Raleigh Traveller bicycle, later dubbed ‘the Shame Bike’ as courtiers said cycling in public was not becoming for a future Queen. 

It is now on eBay for £20,000 – double what it sold for just two years ago.

She wore it well

Diana's Andre Van Pier shift dress with its puffed sleeves and gold collar, is on sale on eBay for £11,340 

This white Andre Van Pier shift dress was previously on display in a Connecticut museum. 

The Princess’s frock, with its puffed sleeves and gold collar, is on eBay for what the buyer calls a ‘conservative price’ of $15,000 (£11,340) and comes with a letter of authenticity.