The star and badge insignia of the Order of St Patrick, inherited by the late Mary, Duchess of Roxburghe from her father, the 1st Marquess of Crewe – who had served as Lord Lieutenant (Viceroy) of Ireland in the 1890s – sold at Sotheby's in London on Wednesday for £21,250 – (€29,800). An online bidder almosted doubled the estimate of £8,000-£12,000. Just before the lot went under the hammer, the auctioneer stated the stones in the badge were "small diamonds and not paste" as described in the catalogue notes.

The two-day auction, titled: The Duchess saw hundreds of items from her estate offered for sale following her death, aged 99, last year. The sale demonstrated the powerful allure of aristocratic provenance with high prices for even some everday objects: an "electroplate breakfast tray" made by Asprey & Co of London circa 1935, and designed for breakfast-in-bed, sold for £17,500 (€24,500) . The estimate was just £200-£300.

Among a selection of Victorian Irish paintings in the auction, collected by the duchess's father during his posting in Dublin, the top lot, Fish Market, Galway by Walter Frederick Osborne made £25,000 (€35,000 , estimate £20,000-£30,000).

Among the watercolours: Guards Parade, Dublin Castle by Rose Barton made £9,375 (€13,100, estimate £6,000- £8,000); On The French Park Estate by William Percy French £4,750 (€6,700, estimate £1,000-£1,500) and The Ploughman by Mildred Anne Butler £2,750 (€3,900, estimate £1,000-£1,500).