ECONOMY & WORK
MONEY 101
NEWS
PERSONAL FINANCE
NET WORTH
About Us Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use DMCA Opt-out of personalized ads
© Copyright 2023 Market Realist. Market Realist is a registered trademark. All Rights Reserved. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.
MARKETREALIST.COM / NEWS

'Antiques Roadshow' guest says 'that's a lot of money' after hearing the value of British royalty items

The guest was shocked to learn that someone would pay $20,000 for Queen Victoria's undergarments.
PUBLISHED JUN 11, 2025
Screenshots showing the guest's reaction and Queen Victoria's undergarments alongside the expert (Cover image source: BBC/Antiques Roadshow)
Screenshots showing the guest's reaction and Queen Victoria's undergarments alongside the expert (Cover image source: BBC/Antiques Roadshow)

Items belonging to royalty are expected to appear on "Antiques Roadshow," but a queen's undergarments are still an unusual sight. A guest who walked in with Queen Victoria's personal items was left stunned after finding out the value of his collection. The show's expert, Hilary Kay, didn't just surprise the guest with the $20,200 but left the crowd gasping for air as well. The appraiser revealed that the items were the undergarments of the Former Queen of the United Kingdom, and were marked to be quite special in the collector's market.

Screenshot showing the guest, the items and the expert on the show (Image source: BBC/Antiques Roadshow)
Screenshot showing the guest, the items and the expert on the show (Image source: BBC/Antiques Roadshow)

The guest brought in a special collection of items that he received from his great-aunt. Upon looking at the items, Kay noted that it was an "extraordinary" collection of Queen Victoria's personal items. "When you see a VR cipher, the initials under a crown on anything, you know that you have something exciting. You have a piece of royal clothing," she said immediately. She then asked the guest where he got the items from, and the guest shared that his great-aunt worked closely with the Royals.

"In the late 1930s and 1940s, she was lady's maid to a Lady Inglefield, who was the wife of Edward Fitzmaurice Inglefield, who came from a long line of naval people," he told Kay. He then explained that his family found a sketch done by Princess Louise of one of the Inglefield admirals, so they thought the items may have a link with Queen Victoria.

Screenshot showing the guest talking about the items (Image source: BBC/Antiques Roadshow)
Screenshot showing the guest talking about the items (Image source: BBC/Antiques Roadshow)

Kay noted that Princess Louise was one of Queen Victoria's daughters, so there was definitely a link. She further found it interesting that there were a lot of undergarments belonging to Queen Victoria in the market today. "I've spoken to the Historic Royal Palaces about this, and the thought is actually that she asked her staff to give these away, not because they were worn out, but because actually they were in reasonable condition," Kay shared.

She further explained that the items were made of beautiful fabric, and people who got them kept them for good. "I think because of the personal nature of these, I think people did keep them as souvenirs, as a direct link to something very personal to the Queen," she said. She then examined the items one by one to reveal the significance of the collection. She noted that all of the items were made by a particular company that made clothing for the Queen. She explained how the split drawers, black stockings, and nightdresses were worn by the Queen back in the day. "These are called drawers because you draw them before putting on a corset," she explained. 

Screenshot showing the expert talking about the items (Image source: BBC/Antiques Roadshow)
Screenshot showing the expert talking about the items (Image source: BBC/Antiques Roadshow)

Coming to the appraisal, the expert told the guest that the market for such items was strong and the collection could be of great value. "I would certainly say something above £15,000," she said, making the crowd gasp, while the guest said,  "Right, that's a lot of money. Worth hanging on to, then. Very good."



 

In the end, the guest expressed that he was astonished to find out that there are people who would pay such great sums for items like undergarments in the antique market.

MORE ON MARKET REALIST
This was rare on the show where Harvey is the one doing most of the talking and shutting people down.
1 hour ago
Fans complained that the unusual clue cost the player a chance to challenge for the win.
21 hours ago
The founders of xCraft struck a rare and expensive all investor deal on Shark Tank.
1 day ago
The dynamic host finally broke silence on exit rumours, cementing his intent to continue his job.
1 day ago
The painting and a note from the renowned artist, Hovsep Pushman left the expert in awe.
1 day ago
Banking on a bad guess made by his opponent, Ryan Burkett guessed the correct answer and took home a massive win.
1 day ago
The World War II era sketch was given to the guest's father by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, the creators of Superman.
2 days ago
The contestant, Madison, hit the jackpot with less than a second remaining in the 'Race Game.'
2 days ago
Both the contestant and fans believed he stood no real chance of solving the Bonus Round puzzle.
4 days ago
The spooky item was a great find for the pawn shop, but the asking price was too high for Corey Harrison to cut a deal.
4 days ago
Despite saying that the item was worth a small fortune, the expert was confident about its future.
5 days ago
Harrison almost blew the deal for the gold & diamond encrusted ring over $3,000.
5 days ago
Insulted by her refusal to partner up, Kevin O'Leary told Lori Greiner, 'Do not screw with Mr Wonderful...'
6 days ago
The witty host reminded everyone that he’s never afraid to deliver the perfect clap back.
6 days ago
TikToker Madilynn Cameron alleged she was asked her to get a membership to use the self checkout facility at Walmart.
6 days ago
The toy train set from the Lionel company turned out to be a invaluable treasure.
6 days ago
The pawn shop boss, Rick Harrison wasted no time to get the mummy authenticated.
6 days ago
The elderly guest was visibly shaken to learn the value of her prized family heirloom.
7 days ago
In an Instagram post, Drew Goldfarb got candid about his big win, friends he made along the way, and things he learnt.
7 days ago
Ken Jennings accidentally let a curse slip and spoiled a clue — and the goof-up made it to air unedited.
7 days ago