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Antiques Roadshow viewers have been left gobsmacked after a pair of Queen Victoria’s knickers – yep, you read that right – were brought onto the show.
The hit BBC programme looked back at the royal artefacts that had made their way in front of the experts in a special episode on Sunday night to mark the Coronation of King Charles III which took place over the weekend.
Amongst the treasure shown to the experts was some underwear worn by the former Queen, as shown to Hilary Kay during an episode filmed at Salisbury Cathedral in 2020.
And let’s just say Bridget Jones, eat your heart out.
The original Victoria’s Secret were shown on Antiques Roadshow (Picture: Chris Rickett/BBC)
After noticing the ‘VR’ monogram upon the material, Hilary asked the collector what she was looking at – and was left very amused by the response.
‘We are looking at a very fine pair of Queen Victoria’s knickers,’ the collector responded.
Laughing as she pulled the underwear out of the box, Hilary said: ‘Let’s have a look at this, this is Victoria’s Secret.
Queen Victoria lived from 1891 to 1901 (Picture: Robert Alexander/Getty Images)
‘They are a fabulous pair of what are known as open drawers. It’s an extraordinary rarity, I have to say.’
The collector explained that, generations ago, there was a baronetcy in her family who ‘clearly worked in the circle of other titled individuals.’
She continued: ‘My great-granny was given these by one of the maids of the bedchamber.’
Hilary shared that Queen Victoria gave away her smalls as ‘a token of friendship’ and that she had previously seen a pair of Vic’s knicks sell for £16,000 at auction.
The underwear featured the VR monogram (Picture: BBC)
She said: ‘I’d have no hesitation in valuing these at around that figure. I’m going to go a little bit lower, perhaps £12,000-£16,000.
‘It’s a huge sum of money but it really is a reflection of the regard in which Queen Victoria is held today,’ she continued.
Viewers flocked to social media to share their reaction, with one writing: ‘The first “Victoria’s Secret”, a pair of Queen Victoria’s knickers valued at around £12-16k. I love the Antiques Roadshow.’
A second added: ‘If I had a pair of Queen Victoria’s knickers I wouldn’t be able to resist putting them on and walking round the house saying ‘We are most amused’ in a posh great aunt kinda voice
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While a third simply joked: ‘I hope those knickers have been washed.’
Antiques Roadshow continues next Sunday at 8pm on BBC Two and BBC iPlayer.
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The original Victoria’s Secret.
