A monarch’s glove may have held them as she savoured the serenity of her favoured Highland hideaway.
And this weekend Angus auction bidders have the chance to get their hands on the horse reins which vintage enthusiasts hope may have a link to Queen Victoria and the heather-clad hills above the Balmoral estate.
Tomorrow will see hundreds of buyers flock to Glamis for the latest auction staged by Strathmore Vintage Vehicle Club, organisers of the annual Scottish Transport Extravaganza.
The entry list features 900 varied lots, the majority motoring memorabilia including cars and motorbikes.
But an unusual find in one battered suitcase has raised hopes of a royal tie to the busy sale.
SVVC administrator Lesley Munro said: “One of the lots is a collection of old horse tack including a bridle with a distinctive brass on it. It bears the initials VR and has the inscription Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense around it.”
The Anglo-Norman maxim translates as: “May he be shamed who thinks badly of it”, and, with a crown atop the Victoria Regina initials, auction organisers are keen to believe the relatively close proximity of Angus to the Queen’s beloved Balmoral may be where the tack originated.
“It simply came in the suitcase, so we don’t know for sure the history of it, but the brass itself is a very nice thing so it would be a real find if there was a connection to Balmoral,” added Lesley.
Past auctions have shown that even the most seemingly unremarkable items can command big prices, with one rare old petrol can knocked down for several hundred pounds last time round.
The club has a knack of unearthing fascinating items and that ensures regular interest from across the UK and beyond.
Lesley added: “The catalogue contains the usual mix of varied items but we have a number of old motorcycles in Saturday’s sale, some of them very unusual and quite rare.”
They include a Raleigh bicycle fitted with a cyclemaster engine to take the strain, as well as an archetypal “grey Fergie” 1949 Ferguson tractor and a restored vintage box cart.
Among the cars going under the hammer is a restored 1954 Rover P4-90 and a Nickri Spyder kit-car.