Ghouls cashing in on The Crown by selling locks of Diana’s hair

... a wedding cake slice and her funeral order of service

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.

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.