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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Rebecca Cook

Antiques Roadshow guest gasps as Queen Victoria's underwear given huge valuation

An Antiques Roadshow guest was left stunned as their collection of Queen Victoria's underwear was given a huge valuation on the BBC show.

During Sunday evening’s episode, Fiona Bruce presented the show from the grounds of Wollaton Hall in Nottingham.

The treasures brought to the BBC show’s group of antiques experts included a fire extinguisher cocktail shaker, a toy monkey popping out of a musical pineapple, as well as a pair of drawers belonging to Queen Victoria.

Antique expert Hilary Kay appeared on the BBC One show to give her verdict on the surprise series of the Queen’s personal items, brought in by a member of the public.

Antique expert Hilary Kay appeared on the BBC One show (BBC)

She explained: "It’s such a brilliant piece of design. What do we say about value? I know that the market is strong and I would certainly say something above £15,000.”

The audience around the viewing gasped at the valuation, as the guest replied: “right. That’s a lot of money. Worth hanging onto then. Very good.”

He added: “I’m amazed that there is such interest – that people want to pay so much money for this sort of item. I think we need now to make sure they’re looked after safely and perhaps better than just being put in a box.”

"I know that the market is strong and I would certainly say something above £15,000." (BBC)

This comes after an Antiques Roadshow guest was left stunned as their heirloom was given a record-breaking valuation.

Antique expert Geoffrey Minn appeared on an episode of the BBC One show to give his verdict on a stunning item brought in by a member of the public – a Faberge sculpture of a pear blossom belonging to the Worcestershire army regiment.

Explaining it, the guest said: "It was formed in 1794 to protect the shores against a Napoleonic invasion. It was agreed that the regiment should serve only within the United Kingdom. However, in 1899 when the Boer War was going badly, it was decided that some of [the regiment] as volunteers would be mobilised.

The audience around the viewing gasped at the valuation (BBC)

"When they left the shores, the Countess of Dudley, whose husband, the Earl of Dudley was a member of the regiment, he was second in command, she presented each and every soldier that went out with a sprig of pear blossom, worked in silk that they were to wear in their hat. As a reminder of the county that they had left, ie, the pear blossom emblem of Worcestershire.”

He added: "When they returned in 1903, she presented this sprig of pear blossom manufactured by Faberge, it's a lovely piece."

Expert Geoffrey loved the piece and said it was worth what is thought to be a record-breaking sum for the BBC show – saying that in his opinion, it is worth £1 million.

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