A pair of flying gloves worn by Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor during the 1982 Falklands conflict failed to attract a single bid at auction on Tuesday.
The signed pale leather gloves, still bearing dirt from helicopter operations, had been valued at between £1,000 and £2,000 but did not reach their undisclosed reserve at Reeman Dansie in Colchester, Essex.
The items had been held by their original purchaser for more than four decades after the then-prince had donated them to a charity sale following the war.
In contrast, a letter penned by Diana, Princess of Wales, a week after her Panorama interview, fetched £5,330 at the same sale.
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's dirty gloves have failed to sell at auction
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James Grinter, the auctioneer handling the sale, noted that the gloves showed clear signs of wear from the former duke's time in the cockpit.
"Andrew was at the height of his popularity during the Falklands War and very highly regarded at the time," he said. "It would have been inconceivable then that he would be disgraced for his subsequent behaviour."
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
Mr Grinter observed that memorabilia connected to Mr Mountbatten-Windsor had previously performed well at auction, but his diminished standing was evident in Tuesday's result.
Andrew on board HMS Invincible during the Falklands War, in which he served as a helicopter pilot
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"There was no interest and no bids," he said. "I think he is too hot to handle for the market at the moment."
The gloves were accompanied by an apology letter from an equerry explaining that the then-prince could not attend the original charity auction as he was spending time with his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, ahead of her overseas tour.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor served with 820 Naval Air Squadron aboard HMS Invincible, the aircraft carrier deployed to the South Atlantic following Argentina's invasion of the islands.
During the conflict, he piloted Sea King helicopters for anti-submarine patrols, Exocet missile decoy duties and casualty evacuation missions.
Andrew returned to Portsmouth Harbour from the Falklands War on September 17, 1982
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He continued serving on Invincible until 1983, with Cdr Nigel Ward describing him as "an excellent pilot and a very promising officer".
The auctioneers had noted before the sale that the gloves represented a bygone era, before details emerged about Mr Mountbatten-Windsor's connection to Jeffrey Epstein, the American paedophile and financier who died in 2019.
Following the King's revocation of his royal status in October, his name was removed from commemorative plaques in the Falkland Islands.
He was arrested at his Sandringham Estate residence in February on suspicion of misconduct in public office and remains under investigation.
Thames Valley Police confirmed last month that the inquiry would cover allegations of sexual misconduct related to his Epstein association.
Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has consistently denied any wrongdoing.