Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

Queen Victoria's big pants

(China Daily)
Updated: 2009-09-09 10:30

A set of roomy bloomers that once belonged to Queen Victoria is back in royal drawers.

In this undated handout photo curators at London's Kensington Palace inspect bloomers which were worn by Britain's Queen Victoria at the end of the 19th century. [Agencies]

The underwear - which has a 56-inch (142-centimeter) waist - has been added to Britain's Royal Ceremonial Dress Collection at Kensington Palace. It has a matching chemise, is embroidered with a "VR" and is believed to date from the 1890s. Queen Victoria had a 20-inch (51-centimeter) waist as a young woman. But curator Alexandra Kim said yesterday "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.