Saudi prince's silver goes to Scunthorpe auction

Silverware, artwork and furnishings from a "floating palace" designed for a member of the Saudi royal family are set to go under the hammer in Scunthorpe.

The items were previously housed on Sarafsa, a six-deck, 269ft (82m) superyacht which was owned by Prince Fahad bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz al Saud.

The lots, which will be sold on Wednesday, include a pair of goblets believed to have belonged to the former king of France, Louis XVI.

Paul Cooper from Eddisons auctioneers said: "The Sarafsa was a floating palace. Everything has the name of an internationally famous jeweller, silversmith, porcelain manufacturer, glassmaker or artist attached."

The items became available after the yacht was sold in April 2023 to an undisclosed bidder. The asking price at the time of the sale was €65m (£55.4m) according to the broker Burgess.

The vessel was built in 2008 and, at one point, was the largest motor yacht to be built in a British yard. It included accommodation for 14 people, quarters for 12 staff and cabins for a further 23 crew members.

The Sarafsa also featured a grand piano lounge, cinema, spa, swimming pool, gym, helipad, car garage and a saloon modelled on the "grandest hotels of Monaco".

Mr Cooper said: "The silver is being auctioned in 70 lots, ranging across sets of just about every imaginable piece of cutlery.

"We have snail forks, oyster forks, parmesan spoons, ice cream spoons, cheesecake knives and hallmarked silver sugar tongs.

"The yacht's guests dined off the ivy and white ceramic tableware of Augarten Wein and they drank from fine French crystal - it's all Baccarat and Royal de Champagne."

The auctioneers believe the items, which they described as a "treasure trove", would have cost over £1m when they were first purchased.

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