Victoria's queen-size bloomers up for bids

MACKWORTH, England, July 11 (UPI) -- A Mackworth, England, auctioneer says a pair of Queen Victoria's bloomers with a 50-inch waist is among articles of royal clothing up for bids.

Auctioneer Charles Hanson said the queen-size knickers are expected to fetch bids of up to $1,000 at the July 30 auction, The Telegraph reported Friday.

The large size of the bloomers -- by comparison, the average waist size for British women today is 33 inches -- feeds into theories that Queen Victoria became morbidly obese in her later years.

"It's generally accepted she was considerably overweight in later life -- exactly how much we'll only ever be able to guess," Hanson said.

Other items up for bids at the auction will be a chemise and a nightdress that also belonged to Queen Victoria, Hanson said.