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The pure gold heart would have been worn round the neck.

A gold brooch that was a gifted by one of the richest men in England to his wife 550 years ago has been unearthed by a metal detectorist.

The heart-shaped jewel belonged to Katherine Neville, the wife of Lord Chamberlain William Hastings who was a close friend of King Edward IV in the 15th century.

The charm was discovered by an unnamed treasure hunter in the grounds of the ruined castle home Lord Hastings was building for himself and his wife before he was executed for treason in 1483.

After his death his widow briefly carried on with the building project but the castle was never completed and it remained a ruin.

The lucky finder stumbled upon her buried gem just outside the moat of Kirby Muxloe Castle in Leicestershire last year.