Imperial underwear under the hammer

A pair of worn underpants might not seem a good investment… unless it’s royal underwear. A pair of undies once worn by the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph went under the hammer at the annual Imperial auction in Vienna for $8,000 - double the estimate. According to the Austrian Times, the 1894 pants bear the emperor’s initials, embroidered by the Royal Household laundry. This particular piece was designed for horse riding. The Dorotheum auction featured various memorabilia from the Austrian imperial family. Underwear ordered by Empress Elisabeth, known as Sisi also featured in the sale, earning a little less than $4,000, as it had never been worn. The auction also included silverware that used to belong to Emperor Ferdinand I, which went for $71,000, and a ceremonial staff for the Hungarian Royal Crown ($79,000). Undergarments belonging to members of royal families often appear at auctions. In November 2011, Queen Victoria’s bloomers fetched almost $15,000.