In a bid to preserve a rare piece of Tudor history, the British Museum has launched a £3.5 million campaign to acquire a remarkable gold pendant, known as The Tudor Heart, believed to be linked to King Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon.

Unearthed by a metal detectorist in Warwickshire in 2019, the heart-shaped pendant offers an intimate glimpse into the royal couple’s story. One side bears the intertwined emblems of a Tudor rose and a pomegranate, symbols of Henry and Katherine, while the reverse displays their initials, “H” and “K,” joined by a delicate white thread. Inscribed below is the word *tousiors*, meaning “always” in old French – a timeless declaration of affection from one of history’s most turbulent marriages.

Curator Rachel King describes the pendant as “unique,” offering a rare, tangible artefact from Henry VIII’s early reign—a period usually known only through paintings and written records. Museum research suggests the piece may have been created around 1518, possibly for a royal tournament celebrating the proposed marriage of Henry and Katherine’s daughter, Mary, to the French heir.

Beyond its opulent craftsmanship, the acquisition presents an opportunity to revisit the often-overlooked legacies of Katherine and Mary Tudor—women long overshadowed by anti-Catholic bias and historical revisionism. King hopes the pendant will help “reframe conversations around them,” recognising Katherine as a formidable queen in her own right.

The campaign, supported by a £500,000 donation from the Julia Rausing Trust, runs until April 2026. The museum faces the challenge of raising the remaining funds while also advancing its ambitious redevelopment plans, including eco-friendly upgrades and high-profile fundraising events inspired by the glamour of the Met Gala.

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