Viewers of Antiques Roadshow were taken aback when a pair of Queen Victoria’s underwear – yes, you read that correctly – were brought into the show.
In a special episode on Sunday night to commemorate King Charles III’s Coronation, the hit BBC show looked back at the royal items that had found their way in front of the experts.
Among the treasures given to the experts were some of the previous Queen’s knickers, as shown to Hilary Kay during an episode taped at Salisbury Cathedral in 2020.
And, well, Bridget Jones, eat your heart out.
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.
‘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 said that Queen Victoria gave away her smalls as a “token of friendship,” and that a pair of Vic’s knickers had previously sold for £16,000 at auction.
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
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.
