Queen Victoria’s underwear sold at auction

GlobalPost

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:

Will you support The World? 

The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?