A christening gown worn by Britain's Queen Elizabeth I has been discovered by chance during a clear-out of a stately home. The embroidered satin gown was found by Lady Elizabeth Ashcombe when she was emptying boxes left in a cupboard at Gloucestershire's Sudeley Castle.

The royal garment was worn by Elizabeth - the daughter of Henry VIII - at her baptism at Greenwich in 1533.

Sudeley archivist Jean Bray told Britain's Daily Express newspaper: "The dress was handed down in the family, which claims descent from Henry's sixth wife Katherine Parr. It was authenticated at the Victoria and Albert museum."

The exquisite gown, which appears in excellent condition, is set to be displayed at Sudeley - where Elizabeth visited as a child and three times as queen - in June.

The castle recently hosted model and actress Elizabeth Hurley's marriage to Indian tycoon Arun Nayar.