Rarely seen royal treasure goes on sale for the first time in 180 years

A "galloping gig" pushchair used by Queen Victoria for her children and grandchildren 180 years ago is up for auction. The rare late 19th-century piece is described as embodying "the playful spirit of the Victorian era and the private world of the Royal Family."

Designed to resemble a horse-drawn carriage, it features a child's wicker seat and a pair of dappled toy horses which gallop up and down when the gig is pushed along. The piece, which is thought to have been made by renowned toymakers, George and Joseph Lines, has been described as a "feat of late 19th-century toy-making".

The pushchair was used at Victoria's summer residence, Osborne House, on the Isle of Wight, where the Queen would retreat each year with her children and grandchildren for a more relaxed life away from court.

The residence was a special place for the late Queen, having been purchased by Prince Albert in 1845.

Throughout her reign, Victoria often retreated to Osborne House for a more relaxed life away from court and raised her children there, hence the pushchair being housed there.

Oborne House is also where she eventually died in 1901, having spent her final days there.

A photograph in the Royal Collection from 1899 also shows Victoria's great-grandsons 'David' - the future Edward VIII - and 'Bertie', later George VI, playing in a similar gig outside a cottage on the Windsor estate.

The pushchair, which is expected to fetch between £1,200 and £1,800, is up for auction in Woolley and Wallis's furniture, works of art and clocks sale which runs from October 1-2.

Mark Yuan Richards, Woolley and Wallis furniture specialist, said: "This rare pushchair presents collectors and admirers of royal history with a remarkable opportunity to acquire an object once owned by Queen Victoria herself.

"It embodies the playful spirit of the Victorian era and the private world of the royal family and we therefore anticipate much interest from the UK and abroad."