Royal baby shirt worn 400 years ago found in dusty attic

By Nathan Pynn

A stained white shirt, which experts believe was worn by Charles II as a baby almost 400 years ago, has been discovered in a dusty attic.

Wendy Boulton found the cherished family heirloom while clearing out her loft at her home in Rushden, Northamptonshire.

Now the 17th-century shirt is expected to fetch $750 when it goes under the hammer at Hansons Auctioneers on Thursday, June 4.

Boulton said: "For as long as I can remember family tradition had it that this shirt belonged to Charles II as a baby.

"It was something of a conversation piece and brought out for all to admire on family occasions.

"After my dad died 10 years ago, I thought it had been lost but I was amazed and delighted to have rediscovered it in the attic."

The shirt was given to Boulton's great-great-grandfather, John Bishop Boucher.

He was given the shirt by a "Miss Lane" who was thought to be a descendant of Jane Lane, Lady Fisher, who helped the king escape after his defeat at the Battle of Worcester in 1651.

Experts say Charles II never forgot those who aided him during his years in hiding and exile.

After the Restoration, loyal Royalists who had helped him escape were rewarded with pensions, offices, gifts, portraits and personal tokens.

He lavished a pension of $1,250 a year on Jane Lane, as well as other long-held relics.

Charles II was born on May 29, 1630, at St. James's Palace, with his earliest months spent within the royal palaces of the Stuart court.

Royal baby garments, or "shifts," could be surprisingly plain and designed to be worn under more elaborate outer clothes.

Auctioneer Charles Hanson said: "The simplicity of the garment, with its hand-stitching, dates it firmly to the first half of the 17th century and is typical of infant clothing of the Stuart period.

"Whether viewed as a Royalist relic, a Stuart textile or a treasured family heirloom, this is an extraordinary piece of history."

A handwritten family note records: "I always understood that this little shirt of Charles II when he was a baby was given to J.B.B.(John Bishop Boucher) by Miss Lane at Surbiton. She was a descendant of the Lane family.

"A Miss Lane assisted Charles II in his flight after the battle of Worcester."

Another handwritten note reads "Shirt of his gracious Majesty King Charles II when he was a baby."

As well as handwritten notes of provenance, the lot includes newspaper clippings from the 1930s regarding the Lane family's right to use the armorial bearing granted by Charles II.

The king also offered Jane Lane's brother a title and the right to add three lions to his coat of arms, as well as a strawberry roan horse on which he was said to have escaped.

Hanson added: "The narrow sleeves, tiny proportions and front-opening are consistent with very early baby clothing.

"Even the oxidation/staining and uneven wear suggest genuine age, rather than a Victorian reproduction.

"The depth of historical research and handwritten notes which accompany the shirt establish its links to Charles II far beyond family folklore.

"It is a thrilling garment and one we are honored to be offering for sale."

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This story was originally published June 3, 2026 at 7:45 AM.