The tomb of a local noble who died in France campaigning alongside Henry V in the Hundred Years War is to be restored.
The monument in Wingfield church, near Diss, commemorates Michael de la Pole, the 2nd Earl of Suffolk, and his wife Katherine de la Pole.
It has suffered extensive damage from an infestation of deathwatch beetles, but the tomb's national importance has seen conservators given a grant of £10,000 to save it.
De La Pole died in 1415 during the Siege of Harfleur, a key clash in the long-running conflict between England and France over succession to the French throne.
The siege was immortalised by Shakespeare in his play, Henry V, where the king rallies his troops in speech urging them: "Once more unto the breech, dear friends".
De La Pole died of dysentery, like many of the English force at Harfleur.
He was succeeded in his title by his son, who died a few weeks later at Agincourt, Henry V's great victory against the French.
The Wingfield tomb was created at the time of the 2nd Earl of Suffolk's death.
To save money, the effigies were not made of stone but carved in wood and plastered to look like stone.
It is this which has made it vulnerable to the deathwatch beetle, the larvae of which can bore into timber and weaken its structure.
The funding for the renovation has come from the Church of England's Church Buildings Council.
Revd John McCracken said: "I am very delighted we have received this funding.
"Here at Wingfield, we have a very large church in what comparatively is a very small village.
"The church was built with royal money to showcase the power and British strength in Christianity.
"We are really lucky to have such historically significant monuments here so now that funding is in place and plans to preserve them have been made it is brilliant."
The conservators, from Cambridge, will begin disassembling the tomb to treat the infestation this week.
Once treated, the tomb will be reassembled.
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Revd McCracken said he was proud of the monument as it was a symbol of the "church's wonderful history".
"Our ancient tomb monuments which we have at this church are really important for the history," he said.
"We can tell the age of the tomb quite precisely because of the armour the deceased was wearing.
"The tombs we have here represent the great history of our country, and more specifically, this church's wonderful history."
HUNDRED YEARS WARRIOR
Michael de la Pole, the 2nd Earl of Suffolk, had led an eventful life before he set off to war in France.
His father - the 1st Earl of Suffolk - had fled abroad in 1388, amid accusations of treason, thus forfeiting his title and estates.
The younger Michael de la Pole made vigorous attempts to recover these lands and was mostly successful in doing so, although his efforts were complicated by the overthrow of Richard II by Henry IV.
In 1400, he took part in an invasion of Scotland and around five years later served in naval operations.
In 1409, he served as the senior England diplomat at the Council of Pisa, an attempt to end the Western Schism, which saw two rival popes both claiming the other was illegitimate.
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He also spent time trying to re-establish de la Pole influence in East Anglia, taking on the role of justice of the peace in Norfolk and Suffolk.
He completed his father's building plans at Wingfield, enlarging the church where his tomb now lies.
In 1383, he had married Katherine de Stafford, daughter of another senior noble. The couple had eight children.
De la Pole took 40 men-at-arms and 120 archers with him on Henry V's 1415 campaign.
The King's forces besieged the fortress at Harfleur, which eventually fell on September 22, four days after de la Pole's death.
The army had suffered heavy casualties but Henry dismissed the urgings of his advisors and opted to march on towards Calais.
The English force was intercepted en route and fought the Battle of Agincourt on October 25, inflicting a huge defeat on the French.
The victory is widely attributed to the decisive performance of the English archers.
De la Pole's widow died four years after him.
Of their eight children, two died in battles against the French and two others died in captivity in France.
Another, the Duke of Suffolk, became a favourite of Henry VI - the weak son of Henry V - and became associated with many royal failings, especially in the faltering war with France.
As Henry's ineffectual reign descended into civil war, Suffolk was forced into exile.
As he sailed for Calais, his ship was intercepted by an angry mob in another vessel.
He was subjected to a mock trial and beheaded on deck.
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