For sale, the Queen's big knickers, stained but worn only once...

The undergarments as they appear in the auctioneer's catalogue

From horse riding knickers with extra padding to VIPs (very important pants) worn at the State Opening of Parliament, Her Majesty can often be spoilt for choice.

And, as the head of the Commonwealth found out in 1968, a reigning monarch can sometimes have so many pairs she can lose track of them: a pair of knickers left behind on a private plane by Elizabeth II in the swinging sixties and given to a playboy millionaire were eventually sold on eBay for a whopping $18,000.

In a world obsessed by celebrities, and where bad taste can be a badge of honour, it is perhaps surprising that the Royal family’s more intimate items do not come up for sale more often.

Even so, it is difficult to see the appeal of a lot that will goe under the hammer at a Bedfordshire auction later this month, especially given their condition.

Believed to date from around 1880 to 1890, a huge pair of Queen Victoria’s knickers described as being “a bit stained and brown around the edges” are attracting interest from around the world.

The pants are an impressive 42-inch waist and bear the stitched ‘VR’ monogram to the top. The monogram also carries the number 35, which the auctioneers understand was given to each item in the particular batch of underwear that this pair comes from.

The knickers have been put up for sale by a woman who paid £10 at auction for them in 1981 as a novelty Christmas present for her late father.

Auctioneer Peter Mason said: “We’ve dated them at about 1890. We’re expecting quite a lot of general interest as well as royal collectors.

“There’s a good chance they might go to an overseas bidder, possibly Australia as we get a lot of internet bidders.

“It’s not every day these things come up – there’s only been two to three in the last 10 years.”

Mr Mason said in the past similar underwear had sold in the “mid -hundreds of pounds”, although in 2013 a sale in Derby saw a pair fetch £10,500.

He added: “Members of the royal household were often given something as a present, whether that be china or a dinner service.

“They produced them [the knickers] in quite a large quantity so Queen Victoria probably only wore them once.

“They are a bit stained and brown around the edges...but not through use, but because of their age.”

The knickers will be auctioned at Charles Ross Auctioneers, Woburn, on Saturday, March 19. Queen Victoria would not be amused...