A PAIR of riding stirrups worn by King Billy at the Battle of the Boyne failed to sell when they went under the hammer in London yesterday.
The lot at Christie's was expected to fetch between £40,000 and £60,000.
The items had been put up for sale by an unnamed vendor, just days before the annual July 12 celebrations of the victory of King Billy in 1690.
Historian Dr David Hume described the stirrups as "a very significant artefact", adding that a potential buyer approached him for his opinion ahead of the auction.
"It's not often items like this come on the market," he told the BBC, adding that King Billy was in the "thick of the battle" at the Boyne as his "horse got stuck in the mud".
On its website, Christie's said the stirrups were made "for the coronation of Charles I, and were later used by William III in the Battle of the Boyne".
However, the stirrups failed to meet the reserve price yesterday and will now be returned to their owner.
