A heart-shaped locket, once a treasured gift from Queen Victoria to her unmarried granddaughter, is anticipated to bring in approximately $3,360.64 (or £2,500) at an upcoming auction.

This golden locket was presented by the Queen to her goddaughter, Princess Helena Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein, in 1896 as a cherished token.

Princess Helena Victoria, who lived from 1870 to 1948, was highly regarded for her charitable endeavors. She was the daughter of Princess Helena, who was the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert.

Known affectionately as Thora, a name engraved on the locket by her grandmother, the younger Helena received this special keepsake with great affection.

The locket’s centerpiece is a single cushion-cut diamond, and the reverse side bears the inscription: “To Thora from her Godmother Victoria, 1896.”

This precious gift came just five years before Queen Victoria’s passing, adding to its historical significance.

The locket comes in the original, purple silk velvet Fraser and Haw’s case, together with a group of letters relating to the locket.

Helena Victoria never married and instead dedicated her life to charitable works, particularly with the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) and Princess Christian’s Nursing Home at Windsor.

The locket was sold by the parish churches of Bathwick St Mary and St John the Baptist, in aid of the Wells Cathedral Appeal Fund, on October 21st, 1978, to the father of the current vendor.

The locket is being sold by London-based Sloane Street Auctions later this month, with a guide price of between $2,016.38 (around £1,500) and $2,688.51 (around £2,000).

Daniel Hunt, the founder and CEO of Sloane Street Auctions, said: “These sort of pieces would have been a natural fit for Christie’s South Kensington in its day.

“But, now that it’s gone, we find that consignors tend to come to us, so we are delighted to play our part in keeping this tradition of higher-end works coming to London beyond the confines of Bond Street and St James.

“It is also a happy coincidence that our auctioneer, Hugh Edmeades, was Christie’s South Kensington’s former chairman.”