A locket given by Queen Victoria to commemorate the death of her favourite servant and confidant, John Brown, sold for £3,000 when it went under the hammer earlier today.
Irita Marriott, owner of Irita Marriott Auctioneers and Valuers, the auction house responsible for the sale said:
‘We had a lot of interest around the locket in the lead up to the auction and it achieved one right Royal result!
‘The provenance which accompanied it is what made it really special, we could trace where it has been handed down through Elizabeth’s family directly from her time working for Queen Victoria’.
The gold and agate mourning locket was originally presented to Elizabeth Smith who was housekeeper to Queen Victoria at Osborne House on the Isle of White. She worked for the Queen for 33 years before returning to her home town of Hucknall in Nottinghamshire, where she lived until she passed away in 1915 at the age of 91.
The locket was sold as part of Irita Marriott Auctioneers and Valuers June Two Day Antique and Collectors Auction which continues on Thursday 19th June.
Irita Marriott Auctioneers was launched in June 2023 by namesake Irita Marriott and is one of a small number of female-run auction houses in the UK. Working-mum Irita has built an acclaimed reputation as well as a loyal client base. Now with over 11 years in the industry, she has opened her own auction house which is the setting for ‘The Derbyshire Auction House’ on Really.
Irita has also appeared numerous times on television providing her antiques expertise. Her TV credits include Bargain Hunt, Greatest Auction, Antiques Road Trip, and Celebrity Antiques Road Trip.
