Tea bag 'used by Queen Elizabeth in 1998' sells for R204k

13 September 2022 - 14:00
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Queen Elizabeth II's funeral will take place on September 19.
Queen Elizabeth II's funeral will take place on September 19.
Image: Bloomberg

While some mourn Queen Elizabeth II's death, others are cashing in online by selling bizarre items. 

Since the British monarch's death last week, a “rare” tea bag she allegedly used in 1998 sold on eBay.

Titled “Celebrity Memorabilia Queen Elizabeth II Regina Britannia tea bag Extremely Rare”, it went for $12,000 (about R204,000).

“This is the very tea bag you might have seen on CNN in late 1998,” read the listing.

“It was used by Queen Elizabeth II Regina Britannia and smuggled out of Windsor Castle by the special exterminator who was called in to help her majesty cope with the great London roach infestations of the 1990s.”

The seller also included a Certificate of Authenticity issued by the Institute of Excellence in Certificates of Authenticity (IECA).

The certificate said the IECA “has determined beyond any doubt that the following statements are absolutely true: this is a tea bag”.

The teabag's certificate of authenticity.
The teabag's certificate of authenticity.
Image: eBay/Screenshot

Other pricey memorabilia sold in the queen's name include a R171,013 doll, a collection of tins, a R15,000 platinum jubilee commemorative plate memorabilia gift box and a R4,275 sapphire-diamond crown. 

TimesLIVE cannot confirm the legitimacy of these items. 

Queen Elizabeth's funeral

The queen will have a state funeral on September 19.

“On the afternoon of Wednesday, the coffin will be borne in procession on a gun carriage of the king’s troop royal horse artillery from Buckingham Palace to the Palace of Westminster, where the queen will lie in state in Westminster Hall until the morning of the state funeral,” said Buckingham Palace.

“Following the state funeral, the coffin will travel in procession from Westminster Abbey to Wellington Arch. From Wellington Arch, the coffin will travel to Windsor and once there, the state hearse will travel in procession to St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle, via the Long Walk. A committal service will then take place in St George's Chapel.”

TimesLIVE

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