George Michael's iconic guitar, famously featured in his "Faith" music video, has sold for £234,000 at auction, far exceeding its initial estimated value of £120,000. The instrument was part of a collection belonging to the late singer's long-term personal assistant, Siobhan Bailey, and was put up for sale by her estranged husband, Ian Belcher, following her death in 2014.

The auction also included other significant items, such as signed photographs personally inscribed to Bailey, Wham!'s running order for Live Aid, and an annotated itinerary from their historic 1985 China tour. These artifacts offer a glimpse into Michael's career and his close relationship with his assistant.

Siobhan Bailey began working for Michael in 1984 and remained his personal assistant for two decades. Her brother, Gerard Bailey, expressed strong disapproval of the auction, telling the BBC that his sister "would be horrified at the prospect of the auction being held in her name and that her personal, cherished possessions are being sold off to the highest bidder." He claimed that Bailey was in the process of divorcing her husband when she died and had intended to leave these items to her nieces and nephews, though a formal will was not completed.

Gerard Bailey suggested that if his sister had lived longer, the items would not have gone to Ian Belcher. He characterized the sale as "disingenuous" if promoted in his sister's name and requested that if the auction proceeded, it should be under Mr. Belcher's name. He accused Belcher of "deciding 12 years after my sister's death to cash in," stating that Siobhan would have preferred the memorabilia to remain with her family.

According to Gerard Bailey, the guitar was a personal gift from Michael, who "thought so much of her." The Gretsch Synchromatic 160 guitar played by Michael in the "Faith" video, a song that sold over 25 million copies worldwide, was considered the "jewel in the crown" of the collection.

Guy Schooling, chairman of Sworders, the auction house handling the sale, noted that George Michael's work "continues to resonate as powerfully today as it did during his heyday." He added that the collection "tells a story of creativity, ambition and artistry on a global scale," offering fans a chance to own "pieces of music history" and objects that "capture the spirit and ambition of one of pop's greatest and most-loved artists."

Ian Belcher declined to comment when approached by the BBC.