Queen Victoria’s XXL nightie and her daughter’s bloomers are expected to fetch thousands of pounds at auction after being discovered during a house clear-out. The voluminous cotton and lace night garment was worn by Britain's then-longest-serving monarch after she gained weight following the death of Prince Albert.
The nightie - measuring 51 inches across the girth - was likely given to a servant at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight, which was Queen Vic's holiday home in the 1800s. It was uncovered alongside a pair of her daughter Princess Beatrice’s bloomers as well as her toy box during a house clearance on the island.
The royal items were gathered over a lifetime by retired antiques shop owner Marilyn Rose, 90, who opened her first store in Gurnard during the 70s. Her shocked family discovered the treasures gathering dust when they went through Marilyn's belongings ahead of her moving to a new property.
They could now fetch more than £4,000 at auction when they go under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers in Etwall, Derbyshire, on October 1.
Marilyn's son, Tim Rose, 64, a retired forester from Warwickshire, said: “My mother is moving and we have been clearing the period property. The bloomers and nightie were among several fascinating finds, some of which are new to us.
“Mum can’t remember exactly how or when she came to own the bloomers and nightdress, but it’s not surprising items relating to Queen Victoria and her family emerge on the Isle of Wight because the queen spent a huge amount of time at Osborne House, her holiday home there.
“There is another royal connection as the house being cleared, which dates back to the 1700s, was once home to Sir William Carter Hoffmeister (1857-1944), Queen Victoria’s physician on the Isle of Wight. As well as the nightie and bloomers, a folder of letters have been found connected to the royal household. We also discovered a 19th century toy box which belonged to Princess Beatrice.”
The pale cream nightie is embroidered with the letters VR - standing for Victoria Regina - and edged with Honiton lace. It is expected to sell for between £1,500 and £2,000.
The bloomers belonging to Beatrice, the fifth daughter and youngest child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, bear a crown and the initials BB for Beatrice of Battenburg. This indicates they would have been worn in the years following her marriage to Henry of Battenburg in 1885. They have been valued at £500 and £1,000.
Hansons’ period clothing consultant Notty Hornblower, owner of Hope House Costume Museum in Alstonefield, Derbyshire, described them as "significant royal finds".
She said: “It is always exciting to uncover items which belonged to Queen Victoria, one of Britain’s most influential monarchs. Her clothing can be sought after. In 2008 Hansons sold a Queen Victoria nightdress for £5,200, bloomers for £4,500 and a chemise for £3,800.
“Then in 2020 two pairs of Queen Victoria’s leather boots, a black taffeta skirt and two bodices achieved £14,000. They were purchased for posterity by Historic Royal Palaces, a charity which looks after London’s Kensington Palace, Victoria’s place of birth.”
The stained pine chest, which is inscribed 'Toy Music HRH Princess Beatrice’, has an estimate of £400 to £600.
Notty added: “Princess Beatrice is fascinating, especially when you consider her lifelong devotion to Queen Victoria. She was her mother's favourite and spent most of her life as her companion.
“Victoria came to depend on Beatrice, especially after the premature loss of Prince Albert in 1861. Beatrice was only four at the time and, being the youngest daughter, gradually became indispensable to her grief-stricken mother.
"As other siblings married and moved away Beatrice remained and Victoria couldn’t bear the thought of her leaving too. In fact, she was so set against her marrying she refused to discuss the possibility. Nevertheless, Beatrice fell in love with Prince Henry of Battenberg.
"After a year of persuasion, the queen finally agreed to the marriage - which took place on the Isle of Wight - providing Beatrice and Henry lived with her. The couple had four children, but in 1896 Prince Henry died of malaria while fighting in the Anglo-Asante War.
"Heartbreakingly, both mother and daughter lost their husbands prematurely. After her husband’s death, Beatrice succeeded him as Governor of the Isle of Wight, living first at Osborne with her mother and later at Carisbrooke Castle.
“Beatrice remained at her mother's side until she died in 1901. The devoted daughter then spent the next 30 years editing her mother’s journals.
"She died at the age of 87, outliving all her siblings. It’s possible the items set for auction may have been gifted to servants in the Royal Household on the Isle of Wight.
"Mementos are then passed down through the generations and occasionally find their way to auction, or to an antiques shop. They are lovely examples of royal memorabilia and deserve to excel at auction.”
The sale also includes a piece of lace bearing a note which reads 'Portion of the Pall that covered Queen Victoria's coffin on her last journey from Osborne. Isle of Wight. Feb 1st 1901'. Discovered in Somerset, it has a guide price of £800 to £1,000.
Queen Victoria died at Osborne House, aged 81, on January 22, 1901.
