The Queen shares surprising fact about her royal wedding cake
The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh enjoyed a nine-foot tall wedding cake when they tied the knot in 1947, but several slices later travelled the world!
PHOTOS: 15 show-stopping royal wedding cakes you have to see
Made by McVitie and Price from ingredients received from the Australian Girl Guides, the royal couple's grand cake weighed 500 pounds and featured four tiers.
One layer was kept until the christening of Prince Charles and another was sent back to Australia by way of thanks. Now, it has been revealed that another slice was also sent to Nigeria.
UK-based charity Lepra shared a tweet that read: "Did you know that The Queen helped sponsor children affected by leprosy through Lepra’s child adoption programme? The Queen adopted one such girl named Budesta in 1956, thus ensuring she could continue her education and live a life of hope and freedom!"
WATCH: Most incredible royal wedding cakes through the years
Her Majesty's official Twitter account, The Royal Family, retweeted the message and added: "The Queen also sent a slice of wedding cake to the Girl Guides at the Itu leprosy settlement in Nigeria in 1947, as a gesture after her wedding to The Duke of Edinburgh!"
READ: 20 most popular pie recipes – including the Queen and Prince William's favourites
RELATED: The Queen eats this surprising breakfast dish – and it's a wartime favourite
Royal fans were quick to comment, with one writing: "I love the royal family," while a second simply added: "Wow!"
The royals' wedding cake weighed 500 pounds and featured four tiers
The wedding cake, which was a centerpiece at the wedding party held at Buckingham Palace, consisted of a fruit cake made with dried fruit from Australia and preserved with rum and brandy from South Africa, earning it the nickname of "the 10,000-mile wedding cake".
A slice of the Queen and Prince Philip's cake was sent to Nigeria
The Queen and Prince Philp were not the only royal couple to choose a fruit wedding cake; the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Lady Gabriella Windsor and Thomas Kingston, and Prince Haakon of Norway and Mette-Marit also opted for the traditional flavour.
Kate and William actually had two cakes made for their 2011 nuptials – the first was a magnificent eight-tiered iced fruit cake featuring the "language of flowers" made by Leicestershire baker Fiona Cairns, and the second was a childhood favourite of William's, an unbaked chocolate biscuit cake made by McVities.
SHOP: Our favourite chocolate hampers to buy in time for Valentine's Day
