Beatrice's 'Turkey Twizzler' hat breaks £75,000 mark on eBay

Last night there were 38 bidders competing on eBay for the headpiece, which sparked controversy among fashionistas during Kate and William's big day.

The leading bid on the auction website - which ends just after 5pm today - stood at 75,110.

Royal Wedding watchers compared the flamboyant Philip Treacy creation to a Turkey Twizzler, a toilet seat and a pretzel, and Facebook pages sprung up in its honour, attracting thousands of followers.

Undeterred, the 22-year-old princess decided to sell off the item for charity, with Unicef and Children in Crisis to benefit from the funds raised.

She wrote on the auction page: "I hope whoever wins the auction has as much fun with the hat as I have."