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A mourning outfit worn by Queen Victoria in about 1880 is to be sold at auction in Derbyshire this weekend.
A dress, bodice, bloomers, chemise and other items will go to sale after being discovered in a suitcase. Valuers were initially called to put a price on furniture before being asked to consider the outfit, which was bought in the 1970s at an antique shop.
Auctioneer Isabel Murtough from Hanson’s Auction Centre says “It would be great if a museum collection could acquire it for the general public to enjoy.”
The outfit won’t do for the next fancy dress party that you attend, though. The dress waistband measures 43 inches, while a pair of boots also up for auction are a size 3.
Isabel also says whoever buys the items will need to keep them in a controlled environment to protect them from humidity.
The lot is attracting international interest ahead of Saturday morning’s sale. It’s thought they will exceed £1,000 when they go under the hammer.
Queen Victoria remained in mourning until the end of her life after her husband Albert died suddenly in December 1861, aged 42.
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