Queen Victoria’s underwear sold at auction

A pair of enormous bloomers in white silk is the unusual jewel in the crown of a collection from the former London home of the Forbes family, the BBC reports.

The American publishing dynasty collected over $3 million of royal treasures at 17-century Old Battersea House, including letters, furniture, oil paintings, and clothing.

The whole lot is now up for sale at the Lyon & Turnbull auction house in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Victoria's bloomers are expected to fetch £3,000 – around $4,800.

Collectors can also snap up hand-stitched black-and-white silk stockings worn by Queen Victoria when she went into mourning for her beloved husband, Prince Albert, as well as a lace nightgown and a pair of her gloves.

Much of Victoria's clothing, including her undergarments, were given to members of the royal household when she died in 1901, the Scotsman explains.

A pair of her stockings sold for £690 ($1,100) last year.

Take a tour of Old Battersea House and its contents:

Another highlight of Tuesday's auction is a painting of the Queen with her manservant John Brown, valued at £30,000 ($48,000).

The picture is especially desirable because of its history, says Scotland TV: it was commissioned by the Queen as a personal gift to Brown, her favorite servant, for his 50th birthday.

Their intimate relationship has long been the subject of speculation. The film Mrs. Brown tells the story: