Antiques Roadshow guest was stunned by the dazzling value of Queen Victoria’s UNDERWEAR
An Antiques Roadshow guest was amazed at the value of Queen Victoria’s underwear he brought to the show at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham.
Expert Hilary Kay was delighted to see the rare bloomers along with a nightgown that once belonged to the British monarch who reigned from 1837 until her death in 1901.
The gentleman revealed that he inherited the items from his late aunt, who was a lady-in-waiting to the Queen’s daughter, Princess Louise.
Hilary shared a glimpse into the clothing before asking, “What are we saying about value?”
“I don’t know,” replied the stunned guest before the expert teased the unbelievable amount.
Shock! An Antiques Road show guest was amazed at the value of Queen Victoria’s underwear during the show at Wollaton Hall in Nottingham
Knickers: The gentleman revealed that he inherited the items from his late aunt, who was a lady-in-waiting, from the Queen’s daughter Princess Louise
Saying ‘I know the market is strong and I would definitely say anything above £15,000’.
The audience gasped when the guest, clearly shocked, replied, “Okay, that’s a lot of money, worth holding on to.” Very good’.
He added, “I’m amazed there’s so much interest – that people are willing to pay so much money for these kinds of items.”
“I think now we need to make sure they are cared for safely and maybe better than just putting them in a box.”
Last week, two guests of the show were amazed at the huge appreciation of an item they brought.
Standing in the grounds of the 17th-century Jacobean mansion Ham House in Richmond upon Thames, South West London, the couple met expert Lee Young.
They asked him to take a look at a Chinese Imperial robe that had been brought to the United Kingdom in the 1930s.
Lee said, ‘There are those moments in life that you always remember – and I’ll certainly always remember standing here when I first saw this spectacular garb.
Pricey: Hilary shared an insight into the underwear before asking, “What are we saying about value?”
Wow: the audience gasped when the pundit said ‘I know the market is strong and I would definitely say anything above £15,000’.
Queen: Victoria sat on the throne from 1837 until her death in 1901
“I want to know everything you know.”
The male guest explained that his wife’s grandfather, who was a managing director of Standard Bank in India, brought the mantle to the UK “probably in the early 1930s.”
Sarah, the man’s wife, said she kept the garment in a dress-up box and would wear it as a child.
Lee said, ‘So, 1750s – it would certainly be Imperial. It is a women’s robe and a robe from 1750 is a very rare robe indeed.
‘There are few survivors and the only other I know of this type you would have to go to Beijing and the Palace Museum to see one. It really is a museum piece.’
The expert said the yellow color indicated the piece was for an empress or first class concubine.
Appearance: Last week, two Antiques Roadshow guests were amazed at the gargantuan appreciation of an item they brought on the show
Appraisal: They asked Lee Young (R) to take a look at a Chinese Imperial robe brought to the UK in the 1930s
He added that the five-claw dress was imperial, describing it as “extraordinary.”
Lee put a glove on his hand to take a closer look at the piece and inspect that there was no damage to the side.
He said, “But – and there is, though – there’s a little problem and that’s when you look at the dragon, it wasn’t supposed to be two-tone.
“I expect that once they’ve mixed the gold plating onto the copper wire, the copper has actually oxidized and that will eventually affect the value.”
Item: They asked him to take a look at a Chinese Imperial robe brought to the UK in the 1930s that Lee said would be worth £200,000 at auction
Lee concluded: ‘If that came up at auction with the way the market is at the moment, I think it would bring in £200,000.’
An audible sob was heard from the other guests listening in on the conversation.
The shocked owner said, “Oh! That’s surprising. My goodness, thank you very much.
“Well, we’re not going to put those in the dress-up box anymore!”
Antiques Roadshow continues next Sunday at 8pm on BBC One.