A hat sported by Princess Beatrice at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton was put up for auction on eBay today.
The Philip Treacy creation went up on the website with a starting price of £5,000 (€5,700), with the funds raised to be donated to charity.
Anyone wanting to emulate the young royal’s look has 10 days to place a bid for what is billed as the “unique sculptural celebratory headpiece”.
The curious item has attracted derision, mirth and utter bafflement from royal wedding watchers. It has even inspired its own Facebook page, with a following of almost 5,300 people.
But in a recent interview with Grazia magazine, the 22-year-old princess defended the flamboyant headgear, insisting it was "wonderful that it's had such a reaction".
She added: “It’s an incredible response to a hat, really. I’m glad it provoked so much conversation.”
Substitute Proceeds from the sale will be donated to Unicef and Children in Crisis, with the money to be split 50-50 between them.
Treacy, whose haute couture hats sell for thousands of pounds, professed himself “delighted, flattered and touched” that the princess had decided to donate the hat to charity.
“I’ve been surprised by the overwhelming response to ‘the hat’,” he said. “I hope that people all over the world will be generous and that this hat will benefit many.”
The starting price was met by a bid from entrepreneur Duncan Bannatyne.
PA