LONDON — A set of roomy bloomers that once belonged to Queen Victoria are back in royal drawers. The underwear — which has a 56-inch waist — has been added to Britain’s Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection at Kensington Palace. The undergarments have a matching chemise, are embroidered with a “VR” and are believed to date from the 1890s.
Queen Victoria had a 20-inch waist as a young woman. But curator Alexandra Kim said Tuesday that “over the years, particularly having given birth to nine children, that changed entirely.”
The collection purchased the bloomers for 600 pounds ($993) earlier this summer. Kim said it’s likely they were handed down to a servant after the monarch’s death.
Victoria lived from 1819 to 1901. She became queen at age 18 and was Britain’s longest-reigning monarch.
