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Queen Victoria's coffin lace found in Somerset fails to sell

Jacob King LaceJacob King
The item is expected to sell for more than £1,500

White lace allegedly used to shroud Queen Victoria's coffin has failed to sell at auction.

Hansons Auctioneers in Derbyshire expected the portion of pall to sell for between £1,500 and £2,000.

A 60-year-old woman had kept it in the dark, preserved for years in the attic of a Somerset property.

The unnamed grandmother said: "I was given the lace by my grandmother more than 40 years ago when I was a teenager.

"It went into my treasure box, a collection of family items I've kept since childhood."

Jacob King LaceJacob King
A note accompanying the lace gives details on what it was used for and when

Queen Victoria died aged 81 on 22 January in 1901 at Osborne House on the Isle of Wight.

A deathbed photo shows her surrounded by white lace, while she asked to be dressed in a white dress and wedding veil, along with a white pall for her coffin.

A note accompanying the lace reads: "Portion of the Pall that covered Queen Victoria's coffin on her last journey from Osborne. Isle of Wight. Feb 1st 1901."

Notty Hornblower, textiles consultant at Hansons Auctioneers, said it was"a remarkable find".

Getty Images Queen VictoriaGetty Images
Queen Victoria died surrounded by her children and grandchildren
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