Bicycle used by Diana could sell for ?9,000 at auction

Kritter · February 17, 2018, 04:52:04 AM

Princess Diana's old bike could sell for ?9,000 auction | Daily Mail Online

QuoteA bicycle Princess Diana had before she married Prince Charles could sell for ?9,000 at auction today despite her advisors telling her it 'wasn't fit for a princess'.

Lady Diana Spencer bought the bike before she married into the royal family, keeping it until 1981 when staff told her it wasn't appropriate.

After they branded it 'the shame bicycle' she sold the 1970s Raleigh traveller to one of her friend's fathers, Gerald Stonehill.

He kept it in his garage for 27 years before selling it to its current owner for ?211 in 2008.

sara8150 · February 17, 2018, 05:06:58 AM

Princess Diana's bicycle tipped to sell for thousands of pounds at auction
Diana's bike owned while engaged to Charles up for auction | Royal | News | Express.co.uk

royalanthropologist · February 17, 2018, 06:24:10 AM

"Shame bicycle" not fit for a princess? The BP staff were really dinosaurs in those days :no:

Duch_Luver_4ever · February 17, 2018, 02:27:48 PM

I can see them being concerned from a security point of view her riding a bike around London after the engagement, but not for "appropriateness reasons". She could have brought it with her to BP, theres been plenty of pics of her on bikes over the years, maybe the grey suits felt the bike wasnt "royal enough".

royalanthropologist · February 17, 2018, 04:38:11 PM

Maybe outside the palace but the Danes and Dutch ride around in bicycles. I think they were inadvertently crushing her spirit. That overbearing protocol is what later on turner her against them. Then they did have real trouble on their hands...not merely a dodgy bicycle.

TLLK · February 17, 2018, 05:33:50 PM

Quote from: Duch_Luver_4ever on February 17, 2018, 02:27:48 PM
I can see them being concerned from a security point of view her riding a bike around London after the engagement, but not for "appropriateness reasons". She could have brought it with her to BP, theres been plenty of pics of her on bikes over the years, maybe the grey suits felt the bike wasnt "royal enough".

From a security viewpoint I could see that being an issue in London during the 80's especially with the IRA attacks, but it could have been used at Highgrove.

As for being dubbed "inappropriate" it's a woman's bike frame, so I don't see the problem especially if she was wearing jeans or pants.

The Dutch and Danish royals are regularly seen cycling around near their homes, but like any royals they're always accompanied by security agents. Often times the younger children are in placed in the front of the cycle with a seat or wagon until they can ride their own bicycles.

Duch_Luver_4ever · February 17, 2018, 10:31:17 PM

Agreed, I think it was largely the grey suits who were a generation or two behind in their thinking. The bike could have been used where she was staying during the engagement and then highgrove after the wedding.