The British Museum has successfully raised £3.5 million to acquire a gold pendant linked to Henry VIII's marriage to Katherine of Aragon. Known as the Tudor Heart, the artefact was discovered by a metal detectorist in a Warwickshire field in 2019.
The museum launched a four-month fundraising campaign in October, which included public donations totalling £360,000 from over 45,000 individuals. Major contributions came from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (£1.75 million), the Julia Rausing Trust (£500,000), the Art Fund (£400,000), and the American Friends of the British Museum (£300,000).
The 24-carat gold pendant features the Tudor rose combined with Katherine's pomegranate symbol and a banner reading 'tousiors'—old French for 'always'. Research suggests it may have been created for a tournament in October 1518 marking the betrothal of Princess Mary to the French heir.
Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum, expressed gratitude to donors, stating: '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.' He added plans for the pendant to tour the UK in the future.
The Tudor Heart is currently on display in the museum's gallery two and is expected to formally enter the collection later this year. Simon Thurley of the National Heritage Memorial Fund noted the artefact provides 'an extraordinary insight into the culture of Henry VIII's court'.
