Hite lace believed to have been used to cover Queen Victoria’s casket is up for auction.
The lace, which has lain in the attic of a Somerset property for years, will be offered at Hansons Auctioneers’ 30th June Fine Art Auction at the Etwall Auction Centre, Derbyshire.
A note at the side reads: ‘Portion of the Pall which covered Queen Victoria’s coffin on her last voyage from Osborne. the Isle of Wight. February 1, 1901.”
The seller, a 60-year-old grandmother, said, “I got the lace over 40 years ago, when I was a teenager, from my grandmother.
“It went into my treasury, a collection of family items that I’ve kept since childhood.
“The lace has been sealed in the dark in my attic for years. I hope you helped to preserve it.”
Queen Victoria died on January 22, 1901 at the age of 81 at Osborne House.
A deathbed photo shows her surrounded by white lace, as she asked to be dressed in a white dress and bridal veil, along with a white shroud for her coffin.
The portion of pall will be auctioned on June 30 and has a target price of between £1,500 and £2,000.
Notty Hornblower, textile consultant at Hansons Auctioneers, said: “This is a remarkable find, and very moving.
“Somehow the lace reflects the overwhelming love Queen Victoria had for her husband.
Her request to be buried in white while wearing her bridal veil, and to have a white veil on her coffin suggests that she looked forward to being reunited with him.
“What a wonderful piece of royal history to own and cherish. It is worthy of a museum or royal collection.”