The British Museum has secured the £3.5 million needed to acquire the Tudor Heart Pendant for its permanent collection, ensuring the rare 24-carat-gold jewel linked to King Henry VIII and his first wife Katherine of Aragon will remain on public display.
The fundraising campaign began last October, with the museum aiming to reach its target before April 2026 in order to keep the object in a public collection. That goal has now been met ahead of schedule—“in time for Valentine’s Day,” the museum noted—thanks in large part to a £1.75 million award from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF). Meanwhile, more than 45,000 people made individual donations totalling £380,000, accounting for over 10% of the overall fundraising total.
Photo courtesy The Trustees of the British Museum
The museum added the pendant resonated with the public in part because of the “untold love story” it represents between Henry and Katherine.
Curator Dr Rachel King, who oversees the Renaissance Europe section of the museum, described the campaign as a rare chance to involve the public in the early stages of an acquisition. “It has been a tremendous privilege to share the story of the Tudor Heart and its finding with the world,” she said. “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.”
Alongside the NHMF award, the British Museum received several major philanthropic gifts. These included £500,000 from the Julia Rausing Trust, £400,000 from Art Fund (including a contribution from the Rought Fund), and £300,000 from the American Friends of the British Museum. Museum officials said the combination of large gifts and public support helped the campaign reach its target before April.
Photo courtesy The Trustees of the British Museum
Art Fund director Jenny Waldman framed the campaign as a case study in what can happen when institutions and the public rally around a single object. “The success of the Tudor Heart campaign is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when public generosity and philanthropic support come together,” she said. Waldman added that Art Fund was “proud to have supported the British Museum with a major grant of £400,000, thanks to our National Art Pass members,” and called the pendant “This remarkable object, so rich in history and meaning,” which “can now inspire wonder for generations to come thanks to the collective efforts of so many who believe in the importance of keeping our shared heritage accessible to all.”
With the fundraising target met, the British Museum says it will now engage with the British government regarding payment of the reward to the finder and landowner. The museum expects the Tudor Heart to be formally added to the collection later this year.
For visitors, the pendant is already available to see in their Room 2 section. It is also planning a future national tour to ensure audiences across the United Kingdom have an opportunity to see it, including a display stop in Warwickshire near where it was found.
A short publication is also on the way. To accompany the acquisition, the British Museum Press will publish Object in Focus: The Tudor Heart, written by Rachel King, in May.
The British Museum has secured the £3.5 million needed to acquire the Tudor Heart Pendant for its permanent collection, ensuring the rare 24-carat-gold jewel linked to King Henry VIII and his first wife Katherine of Aragon will remain on public display.
The fundraising campaign began last October, with the museum aiming to reach its target before April 2026 in order to keep the object in a public collection. That goal has now been met ahead of schedule—“in time for Valentine’s Day,” the museum noted—thanks in large part to a £1.75 million award from the National Heritage Memorial Fund (NHMF). Meanwhile, more than 45,000 people made individual donations totalling £380,000, accounting for over 10% of the overall fundraising total.
The museum added the pendant resonated with the public in part because of the “untold love story” it represents between Henry and Katherine.
Curator Dr Rachel King, who oversees the Renaissance Europe section of the museum, described the campaign as a rare chance to involve the public in the early stages of an acquisition. “It has been a tremendous privilege to share the story of the Tudor Heart and its finding with the world,” she said. “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.”
Alongside the NHMF award, the British Museum received several major philanthropic gifts. These included £500,000 from the Julia Rausing Trust, £400,000 from Art Fund (including a contribution from the Rought Fund), and £300,000 from the American Friends of the British Museum. Museum officials said the combination of large gifts and public support helped the campaign reach its target before April.
Art Fund director Jenny Waldman framed the campaign as a case study in what can happen when institutions and the public rally around a single object. “The success of the Tudor Heart campaign is a powerful reminder of what can be achieved when public generosity and philanthropic support come together,” she said. Waldman added that Art Fund was “proud to have supported the British Museum with a major grant of £400,000, thanks to our National Art Pass members,” and called the pendant “This remarkable object, so rich in history and meaning,” which “can now inspire wonder for generations to come thanks to the collective efforts of so many who believe in the importance of keeping our shared heritage accessible to all.”
With the fundraising target met, the British Museum says it will now engage with the British government regarding payment of the reward to the finder and landowner. The museum expects the Tudor Heart to be formally added to the collection later this year.
For visitors, the pendant is already available to see in their Room 2 section. It is also planning a future national tour to ensure audiences across the United Kingdom have an opportunity to see it, including a display stop in Warwickshire near where it was found.
A short publication is also on the way. To accompany the acquisition, the British Museum Press will publish Object in Focus: The Tudor Heart, written by Rachel King, in May.
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