Bottle of Bubbly From Charles, Diana’s Wedding Doesn’t Sell
The label of a bottle of Dom Perignon Vintage 1961 champagne, specially produced for the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana in 1981, pictured in Lyngby, Denmark, on Dec. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/James Brooks)
It was a wedding that captured the world’s imagination. In 1981, Lady Diana Spencer said “I will” to Prince Charles, becoming the Princess of Wales and bringing youth and glamour to Britain’s royal family. More than 40 years later, and long after the marriage ended, royal enthusiasts had the chance to own—or at least glimpse—a rare piece of that historic day during an auction on Thursday.
The spotlight was on an exclusive magnum of Dom Pérignon Vintage 1961 champagne, specially produced for the wedding. Expected to fetch up to 600,000 Danish kroner (around $93,000), the bottle ultimately remained unsold, as the bids fell short, according to the AP.
“The bids did not reach the desired minimum price, and therefore it was unfortunately not sold,” auction house spokesperson Kirstine Dam Frihed said in an email. “We had, of course, hoped it would sell at the estimated value, especially considering the great public interest it received.”
The label on the champagne reads: “Specially shipped to honor the marriage of His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer. 29 July 1981.” Thomas Rosendahl, head of the auction house’s wine department, explained that only 12 bottles were ever produced, intended to be opened on the wedding day. The fate of the other bottles remains unknown, though they may have been gifted to guests.
“It was a celebration from Dom Pérignon for the wedding,” Rosendahl said. “They also provided regular bottles for the event, but these magnums were either forgotten or kept aside.” Little is known about the would-be seller, other than that it is a Danish collector who previously purchased the bottle from a London wine merchant.
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