Amid a full Disney-style ceremony at the Puy-du-Fou theme park Joan of Arc's ring was presented to the crowds. The ring, genuinely 15th century, was bought at an auction in London by the park's owners and has reasonably good provenance back to the cardinal of Winchester who was present at the burning of Joan and through the Cavendish family to its latest owner.
The perfidious British government, in the form of the Arts Council, is claiming that the ring was exported without a licence and wants it back as part of British heritage - a claim obviously refuted by the Puy-du-Fou foundation. "They had a chance to pre-empt the sale and missed it" said Phillipe de Villiers. As the system of pre-emption does not exist in Britain, but heritage items must have an export licence and the sellers may be compensated by the heritage department, it remains to be seen who has the right to keep the ring - the British Museum or Puy-du-Dome!
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