Let’s dive deep into the treasures of the Tudor era, the opulence of its court, and explore a curated collection of exquisite items that once graced the halls of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, and Elizabeth I. From intricate rings to priceless pearls, each artifact tells a tale of romance, power, and grandeur.
So today we are talking about items that belong to the Tudors. We actually have a lot of items still in museums that have come down through the ages that we can trace the provenance back to the Tudors, and we’re going to look at a couple of them today.
Lock of Hair
The first item we have is a lock of hair belonging to Katherine Parr. Supposedly, this lock of hair was taken the night she died on September 5, 1548. It was sold by Bonham’s London in January 2008 for 2,160 to a Charles Hudson.
The lock is mounted in an oval frame with an ink inscribed paper that states “Hair of Queen Catherine Parr, last consort of Henry, the night she dyed September 5th 1548 was in the Chapel of Sudeley Castle, near Winchcombe.”
Mary Tudor Pearl
There are actually three pearls that are very famous and look very similar that are often confused. This is the Mary Tudor Pearl, not the Pelegrina or La Peregrina pearl, two separate ones. La Pelegrina and the other La Peregrina, and then the Mary Tudor pearl.
This one is featured in at least three portraits of Mary I. It’s about 64 and a half carats. It’s from 1526. The Tudor pearl disappeared in the late 16th century, and then a similar pearl was sold at auction in 2004 by the London jewelers Symbolic and Chase and was called the Pearl of Kuwait.
The owners have made claims that it’s actually the Tudor pearl because it’s very similar in shape and size, and this pearl is currently on loan to the Smithsonian. The Tudor pearl was found around 1526 was given to Isabella of Portugal. When Isabella died in 1539, she left it to her daughter, Juana of Austria. It was then sent to Mary as part of the negotiations for her marriage to Juana’s brother, Philip of Spain, and is seen in contemporary portraits suspended from a circular golden brooch.
Here’s a funny little fun fact about this pearl and Mary and the other pearls that they’re often confused with. So a portrait of Mary I from 1554 by Hans Eworth shows the Tudor pearl, and that was actually owned by Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Now they mistakenly believed that it depicted La Peregrina pearl. Burton had recently given Elizabeth Taylor La Peregrina pearl for Valentine’s Day.
Then the Burtons discovered that the British National Portrait Gallery didn’t actually have an original painting of Mary, so they donated their portrait of Mary with the Tudor pearl to the National Portrait Gallery.
Boleyn Cup
Next up, the Boleyn Cup, a silver gilt masterpiece from 1535. It shows Anne Boleyn’s crest, a crowned falcon, atop of a tree stump with red and white flowers. It was once a possession of Anne, which then found its way to her daughter, Elizabeth. And then, as a thank-you gift, Elizabeth actually gave it to her physician, who then donated it to St. John the Baptist Parish Church in Cirencester, Gloucestershire, where it is still on display today.
Chequers Ring
Next up, the very famous Chequers Ring, which was once worn by Elizabeth I, a rare artifact that survives from her actual inventory. Made of mother-of-pearl set with gold and studded with rubies, the ring showcases an intricately designed locket with Two portraits inside – Elizabeth and another woman, which is historically thought to be Anne Boleyn, Elizabeth’s mother.
Supposedly, Robert Carey removed the ring from Elizabeth I’s finger on her death and presented it to James I. Over time, it eventually reached Arthur Lee, who gifted it alongside his Chequers country house to the nation, and now it’s a treasured artifact at Chequers, publicly displayed for the first time in 2003 at the National Maritime Museum.
Anne Boleyn Wall Clock
Next up, this gilt bronze wall clock, adorned with the royal coat-of-arms and intricate engravings, features a unique birdcage style lantern mechanism. Its historical authenticity is debated, with evidence suggesting that some of the parts were assembled over time, and allegedly Henry VIII gave this clock to Anne Boleyn in 1532 on their wedding day. Later, it became part of Horace Walpole’s collection at Strawberry Hill until 1842 when Queen Victoria bought it at an auction.
Coleridge Collar
Next, this enigmatic Coleridge collar made of gold has a provenance shrouded in controversy. It’s believed to be a 16th-century chain of office given by Henry VIII to Sir Edward Montagu in 1546 when he became Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas. Then again, it could also be a 17th-century replica.
William Coleridge, a former owner, sold it in 2006 as a copy for 35,000 pounds based on advice from Sotheby’s, yet in a twist, it was later auctioned by Christie’s in 2008 as an original for over 300, 000. A subsequent lawsuit by Lord Coleridge against Sotheby’s in 2012 resulted in his loss and considerable legal expenses. So who knows?
Pistol-shaped Whistle Pendant
Finally, this pistol-shaped whistle pendant, intricately engraved with foliage, also houses some cosmetic tools. That spoon is actually an earwax spoon, kind of gross, but there you go. So Henry VIII used to have trinkets like this, trinkets I say, they’re golden, right? But he would have them sewn into his costumes for masks, and many of these he would just kind of hand out as he was going around during the mass. He’d have them sewn in.
Apparently in 1510, a goldsmith was paid 266 pounds to make new trinkets, including small hearts and roses in gold, because all the other charms that had been in his other costumes had been stolen or given away by Henry. And this particular one was apparently, legend says, Henry VIII’s first gift to Anne Boleyn.
Can you imagine just going around a party and somebody hands you this golden trinket, like a Pandora charm or something like that, bigger than that, but, you know, that would be really cool.
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Heather Teysko is the creator, writer, and producer of The Renaissance English History Podcast, the original Tudor history podcast, started in 2009. She's been writing about history online for over 25 years, since her first site on Colonial American history became number one in history on Yahoo in 1998. In 2019 she created Tudorcon, which is now a yearly event, in addition to writing books, and running TudorFair.com - a whimsical Tudor Merch shop. She has been passionate about Tudor England since she first read Alison Weir's The Six Wives of Henry VIII 20 years ago, and subsequently moved to London after college to spend her time immersed in Tudor history.