Skip to content

Tiny trousers of 'Queen's dwarf' sell for almost £10k at auction

Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers A pair of green silk brocaded trousers thought to have been worn by the 17th century court dwarf Sir Jeffrey Hudson sold for £9,570 at auctionSworders Fine Art Auctioneers
The trousers were sold in a clothbound fitted case inscribed in gilt

A pair of trousers thought to have been worn by a 17th century court dwarf has sold for almost £10,000 at auction.

Sir Jeffrey Hudson, who was born in Oakham, Rutland, in 1619, was a favourite of Queen Henrietta Maria.

He fought with the Royalists in the English Civil War but was later enslaved.

The green silk and brocaded trousers - 29cm in length - were bought for £9,750 by a buyer in Belgium.

They were sold, together with an old inscribed card, as part of the Jan Finch collection at Sworders Auctioneers, in Stansted Mountfitchet.

Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers A pair of green silk brocaded trousers thought to have been worn by the 17th century court dwarf Sir Jeffrey Hudson sold for £9,570 at auctionSworders Fine Art Auctioneers
The trousers - 29cm in length - were bought for £9,750 by a buyer in Belgium

Sir Jeffrey, who was 45cm tall (18in), was known as the "Queen's dwarf" and "Lord Minimus".

He was first noticed by the court at the age of seven, when he was served up in a pie wearing a suit of armour as a gift to the Queen, wife of King Charles I.

Sir Jeffrey was thought to have been given to the wealthy Duchess and Duke of Buckingham by his parents as his way out of poverty.

The Duke was determined to ingratiate himself with the royals and gave Sir Jeffrey to the Queen.

PA Media Oil painting of Queen Henrietta Maria with Sir Jeffrey Hudson by Anthony Van Dyck at the Fitzwilliam Museum in CambridgePA Media
Sir Jeffrey Hudson was painted standing with Queen Henrietta Maria and her pet capuchin monkey Pug

Sir Jeffrey was treated as an object of curiosity by the royal court in the 17th century.

However, he formed a bond with the Queen and was given some schooling. He also learned to hunt and shoot at the age of 14.

He would join the Queen on royal engagements and take part in court theatricals.

They were later painted by Anthony Van Dyck standing together along with the Queen's pet capuchin monkey Pug.

Sworders Fine Art Auctioneers A pair of green silk brocaded trousers thought to have been worn by the 17th century court dwarf Sir Jeffrey Hudson sold for £9,570 at auctionSworders Fine Art Auctioneers
The green silk brocaded garment went under the hammer at Sworders Auctioneers

Early on in the English Civil War, Sir Jeffrey fled to France with the Queen but was banished from her court when he killed a man in a duel.

In 1644, as he was returning to England his ship was captured by north African Barbary pirates and he was enslaved for 25 years.

At the age of 50, he returned to Rutland but was imprisoned for his Catholic beliefs.

Sir Jeffrey was released in 1680, but died two years later and was buried in a pauper's grave.

Presentational grey line

Follow BBC East Midlands on Facebook, on Twitter, or on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].