Police have miraculously recovered a 16th century gold case containing the heart of the only woman to have twice been crowned queen of France a week after it was stolen.

The theft of the reliquary containing the heart of Anne of Brittany, who was briefly betrothed to the Prince of Wales, sparked outrage over the loss of an object of huge historical value.

Robbers had broken in through a window of the Thomas-Dobrée museum in the western French city of Nantes earlier this month, making off with the 6-inch oval case despite setting off an alarm.

Local reports said that police had found the priceless relic along crafted in 1514 along with a statuette and gold coins at an unspecified location not far from nearby Saint-Nazaire.

Two men in their early twenties have been arrested and charged with “association with criminals” and “theft of cultural assets”. One is known to authorities. They both deny involvement. Two other suspects are at large.

According to Pierre Sennes, the Nantes prosecutor, the prized gold case “seems to be in good shape”.

The reliquary, topped by a gold crown with nine ‘fleurs-de-lis’, the lily-shaped royal motif, is considered a masterpiece. It was displayed at the museum for more than 130 years.