ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / ECONOMY & WORK

'Antiques Roadshow' guest says 'thank you to the Duke' after hearing the value of her Royal gift

The Duke of Wellington gifted them the table and a set of willow-patterned tea sets to go with it.
PUBLISHED JUN 17, 2025
Screenshots showing the expert on the show and the guest's reaction to the appraisal (Cover image source: YouTube/BBC Antiques Roadshow)
Screenshots showing the expert on the show and the guest's reaction to the appraisal (Cover image source: YouTube/BBC Antiques Roadshow)

Receiving a gift from royalty is surely a major milestone in anyone's life, but these days getting such items appraised on "Antiques Roadshow" brings even more joy. One guest on the show was in shock after the expert revealed that her old gift from the Duke of Wellington was worth nearly $12,000. The lady who brought along a multipurpose gaming table made of rosewood with a Sheraton flair was beyond surprised by the expert, Hugh Scully's estimate. However, he assured her that the appraisal was rather conservative given the item's provenance and the materials used in it.

Screenshot showing the expert, the table and the guest on the show (Image source: YouTube/BBC Antiques Roadshow)
Screenshot showing the expert, the table and the guest on the show (Image source: YouTube/BBC Antiques Roadshow)

"It originally came into the family through somebody who was either the secretary or the valet to the Duke of Wellington," The guest told Scully to begin with. She shared that when the person got married, the Duke gifted him the table and a set of willow-patterned tea sets to go with it. "My cousin said that she very well remembered when she was a young girl, she and her father were playing, and he lost," she shared. She added that he never liked losing, and he had a bad temper, so he threw the original cards that came with the table into the fire.

Screenshot showing the guest talking about the item (Image source: YouTube/BBC Antiques Roadshow)
Screenshot showing the guest talking about the item (Image source: YouTube/BBC Antiques Roadshow)

Scully told the guest that it was a remarkable story, and provenance is everything in the market today, so she should write the story down and tuck it inside the table. Coming to the item, Scully noted that it was a wonderful piece of furniture from the 1780s or the early 1790s. "Pure Sheraton in design, and of course, the latest fashion at that time was to show off all these exotic timbers," he told the guest. He added that the table was made from rosewood, which at the time was probably imported from the West Indies. He then showed the guest that it was a multipurpose gaming table that had a backgammon board, a chess board, and a green board for playing cards.

Screenshot showing the expert examining the table (Image source: YouTube/BBC Antiques Roadshow)
Screenshot showing the expert examining the table (Image source: YouTube/BBC Antiques Roadshow)

However, the only problem that Scully could find was that one of the boards was not original, but he assured the owner that it wouldn't be of much consequence. "It's excellently well done. Such a pretty table and with family history, which makes such a difference," he noted. Coming to the appraisal, Scully told the guest that the materials were quite popular in the market and the item's provenance was of great importance as well. It is so valuable that if it gets damaged or stolen, then one should have some form of compensation through insurance.

Screenshot showing the guest's reaction (Image source: YouTube/BBC Antiques Roadshow)
Screenshot showing the guest's reaction (Image source: YouTube/BBC Antiques Roadshow)

Hearing the amount, the guest briefly went into shock as she planted her palm on her head. After making a recovery, she looked at the camera and said, "Well, thank you to the Duke of Wellington!"



 

In the end, Scully thanked the appraiser for bringing in the item and told her to keep the story with the table forever. The guest assured him that she had already written it down, and she took it out before bringing it to the show.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
The shark also took a jab at Kevin O'Leary and the idea of partnering with another shark.
1 hour ago
The card had a manufactuting defect but that is what made it so valuable.
19 hours ago
He didn't believe he'd make any money on them and offered a ridiculously low price.
21 hours ago
The contestant still managed to be in the lead after quickly learning from her mistake.
22 hours ago
The guest was surprised to learn that it was by one of the top artist's of the time.
23 hours ago
Despite the loss, the player called making it to the show a dream come true for her.
1 day ago
The host also poked fun at the contestant who answered for now knowing where the city was.
1 day ago
The guest ran a hard bargain, but the item was iconic enough to be worth that much money.
1 day ago
While the player, James, didn't get to play his dream game, he aced the one he got to play.
2 days ago
The best part was that a lot of those hilarious answers did appear on the board.
2 days ago
He got an expert to inspect the letter as it was too good to be true that it had landed in his shop.
2 days ago
The guest said that she often wore some of the jewels that were worth several thousands.
2 days ago
Mark Cuban described his business model as horrible, but still made an offer.
2 days ago
The expert had no idea whether the item was real without a test that could only be done in the US.
3 days ago
Harrison could have had a unique item in his store but his stubbornness cost him big time.
3 days ago
The shark had said that he was out earlier but came back in to swoop the deal away from the others.
3 days ago
The player was on a roll before she entered the bonus round and ran out of luck.
3 days ago
The item was gifted to the guest's grandfather by the Tsar of Russia towards the end of the empire.
3 days ago
Ozzy Osbourne recently passed away after delivering one of the most incredible farewell concerts.
3 days ago
It's rare to see contestants on the show refuse chances to win big, but the player was certain.
3 days ago