Queen Victoria's royal bloomers have fetched thousands after going up for auction today in Ashford.

The large silk draws, with a whopping 52” waist, were up for grabs alongside a pair of silk stockings and a chemise with a colossal 66” bust that also belonged to Britain’s longest reigning monarch.

The bloomers were the star attraction when the items went under the hammer at Westenhanger Auctioneers, between Ashford and Hythe.

And they exceeded expectations on price - with the bloomers going for an eyebrow-raising £6,200 - against an expected £1,000 to £2,000.

Auction goers were also left in suspenders until her ample stockings went for a cool £1,100.

It's believed the buyer for both is from abroad.

Speaking before the sale, auctioneer Michael Hogben said: “The items are very large - she wore them towards the end of her life when she had eaten a lot more than most people could afford to.

“They are from about 1890. When Queen Victoria died she gifted a lot of her under-linen to her loyal servants.

"These bloomers have been in a Kent family for more than 80 years.

“They brought them along to a charity valuation day we held in aid of Guide Dogs.

"When they said they had a pair of Queen Victoria’s bloomers we didn’t believe it at first but they feature her emblem and there’s a number 36 on them, which was the laundry batch.

“These are some of the most interesting items I’ve auctioned in my 40-year career and it will be fascinating to see what they fetch.”

The last time a celebrity’s undies were auctioned in Kent, a pair of Canterbury actor Orlando Bloom’s swimming shorts, worn during the filming of Pirates of the Caribbean, fetched £199.99 after just one bid with the money going to counselling charity Relate East Kent.

Other items being auctioned at Westenhanger railway station in Stone Street, Westenhanger, include vintage wines and champagnes, art, jewellery and props from 1970s television show The Professionals.

See www.westenhangerauctioneers.com for more details.