Ammon News - A heart-shaped symbol of Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon's love story has been saved — just in time for Valentine's Day.

The British Museum in London announced on Tuesday, Feb. 10, that it successfully raised the £3.5 million (about $4.8 million) needed to acquire the Tudor Heart Pendant, a rare piece of 24-carat gold jewelry linked to Henry VIII's marriage to first wife Katherine. The museum launched the public fundraising campaign in October 2025, with the aim of securing the pendant for its private collection so that it could remain on public display for generations to come.

The campaign reached its target just days before its Feb. 14 deadline, thanks to a £1.75 million ($2.4 million) award from the National Heritage Memorial Fund. In addition to several other major contributions, more than 45,000 people gave individual donations totaling £380,000 ($519,000).

"The campaign captured the public's imagination with the untold love story the Tudor Heart tells between Henry and Katherine," the museum said.

Henry famously had six wives. He wed Katherine in 1509 and then, 24 years later, broke away from the Catholic Church by having their marriage annulled in 1533 after falling in love with Anne Boleyn. His union with Katherine was his longest.

People