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The British Museum has raised £3.5 million to secure a 24-carat gold pendant linked to Henry VIII, following a campaign that drew the support of tens of thousands of people.
Found by a metal detectorist in a field in Warwickshire, the Tudor Heart Pendant is the only piece of jewellery from its time connected to Henry’s 24-year marriage to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon.
The artefact shows the Tudor rose and Catherine’s pomegranate symbol, and includes a banner that reads “tousiors”, the old French for “always”.
Nicholas Cullinan, the director of the British Museum, said: “This beautiful survivor tells us about a piece of English history few of us knew, but in which we can all now share. I am looking forward to saying more soon on our plans for it to tour the UK in the future.”
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The British Museum said more than 45,000 members of the public contributed to the cause (British Museum)
The museum launched the campaign last October in hopes of raising the funds by April so it could keep the item in its public collection.
The campaign was awarded £1.75 million by the National Heritage Memorial Fund, and received £360,000 in donations from more than 45,000 people. It also got the backing of actor Damian Lewis.
“I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported our campaign and to the National Heritage Memorial Fund for so generously awarding £1.75 million,” Dr Cullinan said.
“The success of the campaign shows the power of history to spark the imagination and why objects like the Tudor Heart should be in a museum.”
Henry VII’s marriage to Catherine was the longest of his six marriages. The pendant shows his devotion to Catherine, and how their marriage shaped the early Tudor court, the museum said.
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There are very few remaining artefacts relating to Henry VIII and Catherine’s marriage (British Museum)
There are almost no other items from their marriage that have survived.
The British Museum’s research suggests that the pendant may have been created for a tournament held in 1518, which marked the betrothal of their two-year-old daughter Princess Mary to the French heir apparent. Henry often commissioned jewellery from London goldsmiths for major celebrations and state occasions.
Rachel King, a curator at the British Museum, said: “It has been a tremendous privilege to share the story of the Tudor Heart and its finding with the world. I have been enormously touched by the positive response to the Museum’s campaign.
“Thanks to the spectacular generosity of many, people will have the opportunity to enjoy the object forever and, I hope, unravel the mysteries of who wore it and why and how it came to be buried.”