Acquisitions

Acquisitions at Historic Royal Palaces

Historic Royal Palaces collects objects linked to our palaces and the people who lived and worked in them to enable us to tell our stories.  Our collecting is guided by our Collection Development Policy. (PDF) 

Do you have an object that you think we might be interested in?  Please get in touch with us [email protected]

Our latest acquisitions

72 Autograph letters  

A combination of both handwritten and typed letters, all signed from various British royal servants, dated from the 18th to the 20th century. Most of the letters are signed from ladies-in-waiting or personal secretaries to the Monarch and show a rare insight to the workings of the Royal Household.

The earliest letter is from John McMahon (private secretary and keeper of the privy purse to George Prince of Wales), dated 27 December 1797, to Sir Lionel Darell giving the prince's approval of 'the enclosed list'. 

Latin deed – signed by George Rocheford and Edwarde Bolyen

This incredibly rare Latin deed on vellum is signed on 21 February 1532 by both George Rocheford (c.1504-1536) and Edwarde Boleyn (1496-c.157. Viscount Rochford was George Boleyn, Anne Boleyn’s brother. George and Anne’s uncle Sir Edward Boleyn (1496-1571) was a younger brother of their father, Thomas Boleyn (c.1477-1539).

After Anne Boleyn became established as the King’s favourite in 1527, George’s career accelerated rapidly and the Boleyns became part of the royal court.

The letter itself is relevant as payment for Viscount Rochford’s services as Cupbearer to the King and feeding the buckhounds (hunting pack) paid by Henry Tuke, who in 1528 became Treasurer of the Chamber.

Rare Tudor signet ring associated with the Boleyn family, c1500

A cast and engraved medieval gold and enamel signet finger ring probably dating to the 15th or early 16th century. This is a rare gold and enamel man's ring, which combines its owner's family badge with religious icons of the Virgin and Child, and St Catherine.  It was discovered in 2022 near the Isle of Sheppey in Kent, and the reversed 'r' between the bull's horns suggest it could have belonged to Thomas Boleyn, Queen Anne Boleyn's father, or perhaps her brother George, both of whom held the title of Lord Rochford. Henry and Anne Boleyn visited the island in 1532.

Credit Line: Purchased by Historic Royal Palaces with support from the Arts Council England/V&A Purchase Grant Fund, the Meakins Family and John Harding, under the terms of the Treasure Act 1996.