Following being dismantled and dumped in a hotel parking lot in Chester, England, an old four-poster bed was recovered and auctioned as a ‘Victorian Bed’ for a mere £2,200 (about $3,600). Experts, however, believe that the artifact is the actual bed on which Henry VIII was conceived in 1491 making it valued at around £20 million (about $33 million).
Henry VIII was the second child of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, and he succeeded to the throne on April 22, 1509. If the bed was created for Henry VII to mark his marriage to Elizabeth on January 18, 1486, the bed may be one of the most important pieces of historical furniture in England.
‘The Paradise State Bed’ is currently on display at Auckland Castle, Durham, England where visitors are presented with all of the evidence and artistic interpretation currently available about the bed’s authenticity.