The British Museum seeks £3.5M to buy a Tudor gold pendant tied to Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, found in 2019.

The British Museum is raising £3.5 million to acquire a rare 24-carat gold Tudor pendant, linked to Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon, discovered in 2019 in Warwickshire. Believed to have been made for a 1518 tournament celebrating their daughter Princess Mary’s betrothal to the French heir, the pendant features the Tudor rose, Katherine’s pomegranate emblem, and the French motto “tousiors,” meaning “always.” With few artifacts from the couple’s marriage surviving, the museum calls it a significant historical find. A £500,000 donation from The Julia Rausing Trust has been secured, and the public is being urged to contribute to meet the full goal by April 2026. If acquired, the pendant will be displayed at the museum until at least April 2026.