Oct 13, 2006, 14:09 GMT
Britain's Princess Michael of Kent is selling off yet more of her unwanted household junk at auction today (13.10.06).
Four items belonging to the princess, the first cousin of Queen Elizabeth, will be auctioned, including an iron-bound silver chest bearing the Duke of Kent's labels and a pair of ornate candlesticks, one of which is broken in four places.
The auction is being held in Cirencester, near Princess Michael's former home Nether Lypiatt Manor, in Gloucestershire.
The 60-year-old princess and her husband sold the eight-bedroom manor and all its contents for £5.75 million in April and are now living in a grace-and-favour apartment in Kensington Palace.
A previous sale in August raised £8,586, from a series of group lots which included several broken china duck ornaments, a poster of Guns N' Roses singer Axl Rose, an exercise bike and a selection of medals and plaques.
A spokesman for the auctioneers defended the August sale saying the interest in the lot was "phenomenal".
He said: "The items have royal provenance and for many people you can't get much better than that."
At the time, British TV presenter and antique expert David Dickinson admitted he was amazed at the amount raised from the junk.
He said: "There are items here that are clearly from an attic, from where the Royal Highness was living - but the bids have astounded me.
"Obviously people are keen to get their hands on any old royal tat."
A third and final auction of artwork is scheduled for later this month.
(C) BANG Media International
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