Queen Victoria's wardrobe found by bargain hunter fetches £3,000 at auction
A HOMEOWNER who bought a secondhand wardrobe only to later realise it once belonged to Queen Victoria has sold it for £3,000.
Queen Victoria's wardrobe was sold at an auction after a homeowner used it for several years
When the lucky buyer got the item home he found a stamp inside stating 'VR BP No.79 1866' - which stands for Victoria Regina, Buckingham Palace, used in Room 79 and dated to the year 1866.
The sturdy piece of furniture would have been used by Queen Victoria, King George V and King Edward VII at Buckingham Palace before it was taken out in the 1930s during an overhaul.
The owner has used it for several years at his home in Sherborne, Dorset, and has now sold it at auction.
The item is actually a Victorian linen press that is used in bedrooms to store sheets and clothing.
The furniture would have been used by Queen Victoria at Buckingham Palace
Rarely do you come across furniture or chattels from any Royal residence on the open market
It was made by Holland and Sons, a high quality furniture manufacturer which received a Royal Warrant of Appointment by Queen Victoria.
The company also worked at other Royal residences including Osborne House, Sandringham House, Balmoral and Windsor Castle.
The vendor bought it at an antique sale several years ago but had no idea of its regal history.
Richard Bromell, from Sherborne auctioneers Charterhouse, said: "Rarely do you come across furniture or chattels from any Royal residence on the open market.
"Sadly we have no history as to how this linen press came to be removed from its bedroom, but we suspect it was when the room was redecorated some time in the early to mid-20th century."
Linen presses were chiefly made in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and were designed to occupy prominent places in bedrooms as storage.
This item, which is 82 inches tall and 52 inches wide, has panel doors with sliding trays and a normal chest of drawers beneath it.