In this undated handout photo curators at London's Kensington Palace inspect bloomers which were worn by Britain's queen Vctoria at the end of the 19th century. the underwear which has a 56-inch (142-centimeter) waist has been added to Britain's royal ceremonial dress collection at Kensington Palace. it has a matching chemise, not seen and is embroidered with a "VR" and is believed to date from the 1890s. queen Victoria had a 20-inch (51-centimeter) waist as a young woman. but curator Alexandra Kim said Tuesday, sept. 8, 2009, "over the years, particularly having given birth to nine children, that changed entirely." the collection purchased the bloomers for 600 pounds (us$993) earlier this summer. kim said it's likely the item had been handed down to a servant after the monarch's death. [CFP]