Mad Hatter? £80K Bid For Beatrice's Bonnet

Auction bids for Princess Beatrice's bizarre royal wedding hat have exceeded £80,000 - as the online sale enters its final day.

Bidders are competing on eBay to get hold of the headpiece, which sparked controversy among fashionistas following Kate and William's big day.

The leading bid on the auction website - which ends just after 5pm on Sunday - stands at £80,200.

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 curious item for charity, with Unicef and Children In Crisis to benefit from the funds raised.

She commented on the auction page: "I've been amazed by the amount of attention the hat has attracted.

"It's a wonderful opportunity to raise as much money as possible for two fantastic charities.

"I hope whoever wins the auction has as much fun with the hat as I have."

The description on the auction site calls the hat a "unique sculptural celebratory headpiece".