A RARE wooden falcon believed to have been carved during Henry VIII's marriage to Anne Boleyn is now back on display at Hampton Court Palace.

The historic artefact depicts Anne's heraldic badge when she was Queen, made up of a crowned falcon with sceptre atop a tree stump from which red and white roses are blooming.

Bought by a Devon antiques dealer for just £75 in 2019, the emblem is estimated to be worth £200,000 and has now gone on long-term loan to the Palace.

The oak-carved falcon, first suspected to be from Anne's private apartments, is now thought to be part of the original Tudor design for the Palace's Great Hall.

Curators have noted its "incredible likeness in both size and design" to 43 other falcon badges which adorn the hall and it is now listed as one of the chief attractions.

Though its Royal origins were first revealed last November, the emblem only went on display this month on March 4.

The date, however, was chosen to be symbolic as it marks 500 years since Anne and Henry likely first set eyes on each other during a masked ball at Whitehall.

Sebastian Edwards, Deputy Chief Curator at Historic Royal Palaces, said: "Ever since my colleague Tracy Borman first flagged the carved falcon badge as a discovery meriting further investigation, it's been a tantalising historic 'what if?'.

"While we won't be able to say for certain whether it was originally created for Hampton Court's Great Hall until the next time we erect a roof-height scaffold and compare it with those still in situ – which might not be for some years – the evidence that has emerged during our research lends great weight to the theory, particularly with there being one falcon less than we'd expect in the surviving decorative scheme!

"Either way, this is an incredibly rare example of Tudor royal ornamentation, imbued with the legend of Henry's most famous Queen, which I hope will provide visitors to Hampton Court with a small taste of the jaw-dropping magnificence of the palace during the Tudor period."

Read more about the falcon's discovery HERE