A STUNNING golden pendant linked to King Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon has been saved for the public – at a princely sum of £3.5 million.
The lost amulet – inscribed with a special message of love – was found by a metal detectorist in a Warwickshire field in 2019.
Named the “Tudor Heart”, the dazzling 24-carat heart-shaped pendant is the “only piece of jewellery of its kind”.
It depicts the Tudor rose with Catherine’s pomegranate symbol, linking it to King Henry VIII’s first marriage.
King Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon was his longest, with it lasting 24 years.
In October, the British Museum launched a fundraising appeal to secure the Tudor Heart pendant for public display – with a deadline of April 2026.
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And it has managed to bag the romantic artefact “in time for Valentine’s Day“.
“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,” said Dr Nicholas Cullinan OBE, the director of the British Museum.
“This beautiful survivor tells us about a piece of English history few of us knew, but in which we can all now share.”
The campaign, which was backed by actor Damian Lewis who portrayed King Henry VIII in hit TV series Wolf Hall, was helped hugely by a £1.75 million award from the National `heritage Memorial Fund.
And more than 45,000 people offered up individual donations, which contributed £380,000 to the campaign.
“The Tudor Heart is an extraordinary insight into the culture of Henry VIII’s court,” said Simon Thurley, the chair of the National Heritage Memorial Fund.
“And I am delighted that Memorial Fund support will enable it to go on public display, where people can enjoy it and learn what it tells us about this fascinating period in our history.”
The rare pendant bears a special message of love, with a banner reading: “tousiors”.
That’s the old French for “always”, which the British Museum called “a poignant declaration of an eternal connection”.
“Research by the British Museum suggests the pendant may have been created for a tournament held in October 1518,” said the British Museum.
“To mark the betrothal of their daughter, Princess Mary, to the French heir apparent.
“Henry frequently commissioned London goldsmiths to create ‘costume’ jewellery for major celebrations and state occasions which were worn briefly by members of the court to create the impression of great splendour.”
To secure the pendant, the British Museum had to pay the finder under the Treasure Act 1996.
That means the museum that wants to keep the find for public display needs to get it valued by an independent committee.
Then the finder will be offered a payment that’s equal to the market value of the find.
This is usually split in a clean 50/50 between the person who found it (usually a metal detectorist) and the landowner or tenant (in this case, the owner of the field) – unless they’ve agreed otherwise.
The metal detectorist in question was cafe owner Charlie Clarke, who reported the find and described it as a “once in a lifetime – no, once in 30 lifetimes” discovery.
He also said that he would use the money to give his four-year-old son the best education possible.
Now that the British Museum has been able to cobble the cash together and pay the finder, it can show off the Tudor Heart.
The museum said that it is “working on plans for a future national tour”.
And that will include it being on display in Warwickshire, close to where it was found.
“It has been a tremendous privilege to share the story of the Tudor Heart and its finding with the world,” said Dr Rachel King, curator of Renaissance Europe.
“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.”
Despite the romantic gesture, King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon’s marriage was ultimately doomed.
He left her and annulled the marriage in 1533 because she didn’t give him a son, and became infatuated with Anne Boleyn (who he later had executed).