– Historical Treasures –
Damian took to social media on behalf of the British Museum to help secure the Tudor Heart pendant, an historic treasure once associated with King Henry VIII and his first wife Katherine of Aragon. The British Museum is trying to raise £3.5m by February 14, 2026 to secure the pendant for the nation.
The Tudor Heart is one of the most spectacular pieces of English history. It was found in December 2019 by a detectorist in Warwickshire.
The Tudor Heart pendant is unlike any object in the British Museum collection or elsewhere in the UK. This highly accomplished jewel with enamelled motifs is attached to a 75-link gold chain by a suspension clasp in the form of a hand emerging from a cloud. Every element of the suite has been made using the purest gold. The front of the pendant is decorated with a white and red Tudor rose entwined with a pomegranate bush. The pomegranate was the personal emblem of Queen Katherine, representing fertility and her Spanish homeland. The hidden face is decorated with the initials ‘H’ and ‘K’ united by a tasselled cord. Both sides carry a French motto, toujours meaning always.
Few objects from this period that tell the tale of Henry’s relationship with Katherine during their 24-year-long marriage remain, making it a historical treasure.
The British Museum is deeply grateful to The Julia Rausing Trust for their generous lead donation of £500,000, which will bring them closer to acquiring the Tudor Heart for the nation.
Learn more about how you can help support the Tudor Heart appeal: