{"id":754636,"date":"2026-02-10T09:19:36","date_gmt":"2026-02-10T09:19:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/754636\/"},"modified":"2026-02-10T09:19:36","modified_gmt":"2026-02-10T09:19:36","slug":"midland-dad-is-instant-millionaire-after-digging-up-henry-viii-pendant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/754636\/","title":{"rendered":"Midland dad is instant millionaire after digging up Henry VIII pendant"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cafe boss Charlie Clarke scoops \u00a31.75m after turning up Tudor pendant in Warwickshire field while metal detecting<\/p>\n

Charlie Clarke, centre left, with the pendant which has now earned him \u00a31.75million.<\/p>\n

A Birmingham cafe boss is set to become a millionaire – thanks to his metal detecting hobby.<\/p>\n

Charlie Clarke dug up a unique 500-year-old pendant linked to Henry VIII\u2019s marriage to his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, in a Warwickshire<\/a> field.<\/p>\n

Now the British Museum has raised \u00a33.5million to buy the artefact, called the Tudor Heart, for the nation after a celebrity-backed fundraising campaign. The cash will reportedly be split between Charlie and the landowner – setting him up with a \u00a31.75m fortune.<\/p>\n

READ MORE: “Send her to prison as long as you can,” says \u00a360 chicken thief’s own lawyer<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Charlie said previously he shrieked “like a little girl” when he turned up the jewellery in 2019 – just six months after taking up the hobby. He said he planned to use some of the money to put his son through school.<\/p>\n

“That\u2019s all it\u2019s really about,” he told the Guardian<\/a> in 2023. “Birmingham<\/a> is a bit of a rough place, and I think any parent \u2026 would want the best education for their children.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Tudor Heart was dug up by Birmingham metal detectorist Charlie Clarke.(Image: PA)<\/p>\n

“People say it\u2019s like winning the lottery; it\u2019s not. People actually win the lottery. When was the last time a crown jewel was unearthed?”<\/p>\n

Charlie said he was about to call it a day after turning up “junk” when his detector pinged and he dug down to the length of his elbow. He called his find a “once in 30 lifetimes” discovery and it has entranced experts ever since.<\/p>\n

The museum launched its appeal last October. It today, Tuesday, February 10, announced it had reached its fundraising goal, after receiving \u00a3360,000 in public donations and a string of donations from grants, trusts and arts organisations.<\/p>\n

Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum, said: \u201cI want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported our campaign and to the National Heritage Memorial Fund for so generously awarding \u00a31.75 million.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The stunning pendant features a banner that reads \u201ctousiors\u201d, the old French for \u201calways”.(Image: PA)<\/p>\n

\u201cThe success of the campaign shows the power of history to spark the imagination and why objects like the Tudor Heart should be in a museum. This beautiful survivor tells us about a piece of English history few of us knew, but in which we can all now share.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am looking forward to saying more soon on our plans for it to tour the UK in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the research by the museum, the 24 carat gold artefact may have been created for a tournament held in October 1518 to mark the betrothal of their daughter, Princess Mary, to the French heir apparent.<\/p>\n

Henry VIII regularly commissioned London goldsmiths to create costume jewellery for major celebrations and state occasions which were worn briefly by members of the court to create the impression of great splendour, according to the British Museum.<\/p>\n

The pendant unites the Tudor rose with Katherine\u2019s pomegranate symbol, and features a banner that reads \u201ctousiors\u201d, the old French for \u201calways\u201d. Why it turned up in Warwickshire remains a mystery.<\/p>\n

After it was found, the pendant was reported under the Treasure Act 1996, which gives museums and galleries in England a chance to acquire historical objects and put them on display.<\/p>\n

Simon Thurley, chairman of the National Heritage Memorial Fund, said: \u201cThe Tudor Heart is an extraordinary insight into the culture of Henry VIII\u2019s court, and I am delighted that Memorial Fund support will enable it to go on public display, where people can enjoy it and learn what it tells us about this fascinating period in our history.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Memorial Fund exists to save the UK\u2019s most outstanding heritage and make it publicly accessible, in memory of those who have given their lives for the UK.<\/p>\n

\u201cSince 1980 we have supported nearly 1,500 acquisitions and we are delighted to count the Tudor Heart as part of the growing and timeless collection of UK heritage that belongs to all of us forever.\u201d<\/p>\n

Art Fund director Jenny Waldman said the organisation was \u201cproud\u201d to have supported the British Museum\u2019s fundraising campaign, adding: \u201cThis remarkable object, so rich in history and meaning, 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

Since the fundraising efforts were announced, the Tudor Heart has been on display in the museum\u2019s gallery two, where it is set to remain on view.<\/p>\n

The museum hopes to have the pendant formally in the collection later this year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Cafe boss Charlie Clarke scoops \u00a31.75m after turning up Tudor pendant in Warwickshire field while metal detecting Charlie…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":754637,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7820],"tags":[855,748,393,4884,16,15,9733],"class_list":{"0":"post-754636","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-birmingham","8":"tag-birmingham","9":"tag-britain","10":"tag-england","11":"tag-great-britain","12":"tag-uk","13":"tag-united-kingdom","14":"tag-warwickshire"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/116045595844942243","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/754636","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=754636"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/754636\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/754637"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=754636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=754636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=754636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}