A pair of black and white stockings worn by one of Britain's most iconic and popular monarchs, Queen Victoria (1819-1901), is to auction at Tennants Auctioneers in the UK on April 26.
Although the monogrammed silk stockings have been given a cautious £400-600 ($610-914) estimate ahead of the sale, items of attire worn by the monarch have previously sold for significantly more, with undergarments particularly popular among collectors.
 Queen Victoria's stockings could be yours for just £600 ($914)… |
A complete mourning outfit worn by Queen Victoria following the death of her beloved husband, Albert, sold for $9,000 last year, while a pair of her bloomers was snapped up by an anonymous collector for $15,000 in 2011.
Philip Gregory, a spokesperson for Lyon and Turnbull, the UK auction house overseeing the bloomer sale, commented: "People who collect royal memorabilia from the Victorian era see underwear as the crowning glory of their collection."
A spokesperson for Tennants explained to the Northern Echo newspaper: "This particular style of stocking was thought to be Queen Victoria's favourite and was worn throughout the 1870s."
Social historian and royal underwear expert Dulcie Lewis believes that the Queen would have worn her undergarments a handful of times and then would have given them away. "Often her underwear would end up in the houses of people in the court, or people who had done her a service," she told the publication.
We currently have this remarkable Queen Victoria autographed appointment letter for sale.
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