Undies that belonged to the famous Austrian Empress and Queen of Hungary ‘Sissi’ have been bought for GBP 3,273 at an auction house in Germany.
The underwear that once belonged to Empress Elisabeth of Austria (14th December 1837 – 10th September 1898) were auctioned at the Hermann Historica auction house in the municipality of Grasbrunn near the German city of Munich.
The Hermann Historica auction house offered 85 items including clothes and other items from the imperial house of Austria on 1st June.
The Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, who married the Emperor and ruler of the Habsburg Monarchy, Franz Joseph I, was born into the royal Bavarian House of Wittelsbach.
The queen, who was nicknamed ‘Sissi’, was the longest reigning Empress of Austria at 44 years.
A three-piece lingerie set from Sissi’s summer collection was auctioned at a starting price of EUR 1,000 (GBP 861) but reached EUR 3,800 (GBP 3,273) when it was bought.
The auction house announced that the lingerie, which dates back to the 1870s or 1880s, consists of “matching underbelly and wrap-around trousers made of fine white linen and a pair of long cotton stockings marked with the inscription E.S.”
Auctioneer Bernhard Pacher, 59, said: “The owner of the majority of the auction items has been collecting them for decades. She wanted to open her own Sissi museum near [the city of] Worms.”
Press officer Maria Burdick from the Hermann Historica auction house told Newsflash: “All Sissi’s items come from a lady who bought them at Hermann Historica in the 80s and 90s. She also collected a large selection of art, furniture, minerals and fossils, which she acquired on the international market.”
Underwear belonging to Empress Elisabeth “Sissi” of Austria and Queen of Hungary that were sold for EUR 3,800 (GBP 3,273). 
An elegant cape belonging to Empress Elisabeth “Sissi” of Austria and Queen of Hungary that were sold for EUR 23,000 (GBP 19,808).
However the collector died shortly before she could fulfill her wish so the ones who inherited the items put them up for auction.
Pacher said that all items have been carefully checked and added: “There is an imperial family clothing directory. The textile inventory is described in detail. If a piece doesn’t appear on the list, an auction house would not accept it.”
The auction also included several other pieces of Sissi’s wardrobe such as an 1880 cream-coloured summer dress covered with floral designs that was sold for EUR 30,000 (GBP 25,837).
A Hungarian cream-coloured and woolen pelisse-styled cape also found its way in the auction and was sold for EUR 23,000 (GBP 19,808), whilst a wooden screen consisting of 90 photos of the royal family from the time period between 1870 and 1890 reached EUR 14,000 (GBP 12,058).
The listed prices do not include additional taxes for the items.
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Story By: Georgina Jadikovska, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
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