A BICYCLE owned by Lady Diana Spencer went under the hammer today. 

The blue 1970s Ladies Raleigh Traveller Bicycle was regularly used by the future royal while she was engaged to Prince Charles.  

It was sold by auctioneers Farnon & Lake in Thame this afternoon for £9,200.

The bike was expected to fetch up to £9,000 and at midday online bidding already stood at more than £3,000.

Dubbed the 'shame bicycle' by the media at the time and criticised by the palace, Diana sold the bike to a friend's father in 1981, who kept it in his garage for 27 years before selling it in 2008 for £211. 

The bicycle also comes with an 1981 article from the Evening Standard that heavily features the bike and an original letter from the previous owner, Gerald Stonehill, purchasing direct from the Princess of Wales. 

Other items up for sale today included an original Terry O’Neill photograph of the Beatles from 1963 of the band in the backyard of Abbey Road, which is co-signed by Mr O'Neill and Paul McCartney.