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A mourning outfit worn in the 1880s by famous Isle of Wight resident Queen Victoria has made thousands of pounds more than expected at auction.
A dress, bodice, bloomers, chemise and other items went on sale on Saturday after being discovered in a suitcase.
Measuring up
The dress waistband measures 43 inches, while a pair of boots measured a size 3.
Before the sale, auctioneer Isabel Murtough from Hanson’s Auction Centre told Isle of Wight Radio, “It would be great if a museum collection could acquire it for the general public to enjoy.”
She also warned that the items would need to keep them in a controlled environment to protect them from humidity.
International interest
The lot attracted international interest but in the end sold for £6,200 to an American buyer, inn the sale at Hansons Derbyshire Auction Centre in Etwall, Derby.
Isle of Wight links
Britain's longest reigning monarch spent many of her years at Osborne House in East Cowes and remained on the throne from June 1837 until January 1901. Her husband Albert died of typhoid in December 1861, aged 42.
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