Pearls that were once owned by Marie Antoinette failed to reach their reserve price at auction in London this week.

The deposed Queen of France handed the 33 pearls to the Countess of Sutherland, the wife of the British ambassador, for safekeeping before revolutionaries beheaded her in 1793.

Set in a diamond and ruby necklace in 1849, the pearls were being sold by auction house Christie's, but a top bid of £340,000 fell well short of the £400,000 it was expected to fetch and the item went unsold.

The historic necklace was created for the marriage of the Countess of Sutherland's granddaughter and was being sold by one of her descendants.

One of Marie Antoinette's friends, the Countess of Sutherland had clothes and linen sent to the former queen during her imprisonment and it is though that she would have expected to reunite the jewels with their owner.

The pearls were smuggled to Britain shortly before Marie Antoinette was beheaded in October 1793. They were mounted in gold on a ruby collar and diamond collet.