The black and white tights bear a crest design and are said to have been a favourite style of the Queen in the 1870s.

Auctioneers Lyon and Turnbull believed the sale would attract the interest of collectors of ''Victoriana''.

The hand-stitched stockings went under the hammer for £690 at the auction house's Edinburgh sale, surpassing an initial valuation of around £400.

Lyon and Turnbull said they were snapped up by a dealer on behalf of a third party.