Undergarments belonging to Queen Victoria are expected to fetch thousands of pounds at auction.
A selection of her stockings and underwear are to be sold alongside hundreds of royal artefacts, including furniture and oil paintings.
The collection comes from the contents of Old Battersea House - the London home of the Forbes family, the American publishing dynasty.
A large pair of white silk bloomers has been valued at £3,000.
They will be sold by auctioneers Lyon and Turnbull at their Edinburgh salesroom.
Black-and-white, hand-stitched silk stockings she wore when she went into mourning over the death of Prince Albert are expected to fetch between £500 and £800.
Three pairs of silk stockings, a lace night-gown and a pair of her gloves will also be sold.
'Crowning glory'
The Forbes family home hosted many public visitors over the years, including former US president Ronald Reagan and Hollywood star Dame Elizabeth Taylor.
The late 17th Century house was bought and restored in 1970 by Malcolm Forbes and his son Christopher Forbes, vice-chairman of the Forbes publishing company, under the guidance of architect Vernon Gibberd.
All the items, collectively valued at between £1.5m and £2m, have been on public display.
Simon Edsor, director of The Fine Art Society and art adviser to the Forbes family, said: "Examples of the Queen's belongings have long been considered the crowning glory for Victoriana collectors.
"In the past few years, several items have come up for auction and made excellent prices, with interest from around the world."
Also included in the sale is antique furniture, such as the four-poster bed that Dame Elizabeth slept in with her seventh husband, and twin beds once occupied by Ronald and Nancy Reagan, valued at between £12,000 and £15,000.
No comments:
Post a Comment