THE British Museum contains everything from the Annla Gearra as Proibhinse Ard Macha (“Short Annals of the Province of Armagh”), beginning around the 5th century, to Assyrian winged bulls hauled from the ruins of Nineveh.
As comedian Alexei Sayle once said after a visit to the British Museum: “Nothing British in it. Collections from across the world. Brought back, presumably, by Ali Baba and the 40 Collectors.”
Still, there’s no denying the place is stuffed full of fascinating exhibits, both expected and surprising: Irish annals, Viking artefacts, the Rosetta Stone from ancient Egypt and the Parthenon sculptures from Athens.
Now the Museum has secured £3.5 million to acquire something that is at least homegrown — the Tudor Heart pendant. This unique 24-carat gold heart, linked to Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon, was discovered in Warwickshire in 2019. A fundraising campaign launched last October reached its target ahead of April’s deadline, boosted by a £1.75m grant from the National Heritage Memorial Fund marking its 45th anniversary.
So it will be on show in London before long.
The pendant, bearing the Tudor rose and Catherine’s pomegranate symbol, is thought to date from around 1518 and may have been created for a court tournament marking Princess Mary’s betrothal (the future Queen Mary I — later nicknamed “Bloody Mary,” though nothing to do with tomato juice and vodka).
The pendant is inscribed with the word ‘tousiors’ (“always”) and reflects the early devotion between Henry and Catherine before their marriage was annulled in 1533.
Of course, the whole Tudor era is fascinating, and there are plenty of artefacts in the Museum focused on that period.
It included two of the most self-serving monarchs in history: Henry VIII and Elizabeth I — each of them cruel, ruthless, paranoid and power-hungry. Yet they’ve become almost celebrities of the 21st century. Isn’t that extraordinary?
Queen Elizabeth I devoted her entire reign to nothing loftier than her own survival and gilding her reputation; Henry VIII was an appalling creature who gave not one fig about his country or its subjects but, against all the odds, is now the most famous king in history.
So the pendant will certainly have box-office draw.
The British Museum plans a national tour, and the Ulster Museum is a strong contender if the Museum aims for broad UK coverage and can meet the logistical requirements.
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