Queen Victoria's knitting bag sold

May 22, 2009, 11:05 GMT

A knitting bag once owned by Britain's Queen Victoria was sold at auction yesterday (21.05.09).

The purple, velvet-line pouch - thought to have been knitted by the monarch herself - went under the hammer in Lichfield, Staffordshire, where it was expected to fetch over £1500.

Bidding was sluggish and the bag was eventually sold for just £800. It was bought by a Spanish collector who placed his bid via a telephone link.

Auctioneer Charles Hanson was disappointed with the sale, as he had hoped the item would go to a public collection of royal memorabilia within the UK.

He said: "I think it was an accessory of great personal importance but I am pleased it's sold."

Victoria - who died in 1901 after 63 years on the throne - was a keen knitter, whose pieces were said to be "worth their weight in gold" when they were sold at fairs.

It is thought she gave the bag to her doctor, Sir James Reid, as a thank-you gift.

Meanwhile, furniture the once belonged to Victoria will be auctioned later this month.

The antique items - which once furnished Windsor Castle - are expected to fetch up to £12,000 when they go under the hammer on May 29.

A pair of gilt wood chairs, a silk screen, a table and two cabinets will be up for grabs at the sale.