From 2016 to 2021, the Royal Mint issued a series dedicated to the Queen’s Beasts, inspired by the 10 statues that have guarded Westminster Abbey in London since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. The original models are the King's Beasts, which survive at Hampton Court Palace near London, sculpted in stone for King Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour.
These statues, created by Royal Academician and sculptor James Woodford and based on the royal lineage of the present queen, were created for the queen’s upcoming coronation. In the autumn of 1952, the Minister of Works selected Mr. Woodford to create ten new beasts similar in form and character to the ten at Hampton Court but more appropriate to the Queen.
Now, the Royal Mint turns its attention to the Tudor Beasts and a series that promises to be as spectacular (if not more so) as the Queen’s Beasts series.
The Tudor Beasts
In October 2021, the Mint launched a new five-year series of coins, under the name of “Tudor Beasts.” These were solely based on the 10 statues, known to have guarded the Hampton Court Palace home to Tudor and Stuart kings. It includes Henry VIII, who later commissioned all these statues, or the King’s Beasts, after his 3rd marriage to Jane Seymour.
From the mint: “When the House of Lancaster overcame the House of York following the Wars of the Roses, a formidable dynasty was born. Henry VII, following his matrimonial union with Elizabeth of York to unite the houses, was keen to emphasize the legitimacy of his reign. He looked to the medieval tradition of heraldry to display motifs and symbols wherever possible, reinforcing his rightful position on the English throne to his subjects as well as rival claimants.
Henry VIII continued his father’s commitment to legitimizing the Tudor dynasty. One such place that heavily features heraldic symbols is Hampton Court Palace – one of the king’s most famous residences and a place he used for pleasure and celebration.
Ten stone beasts line the Moat Bridge, representing the lineage of Henry VIII and his third wife, Jane Seymour. Consisting of real beasts and mythical creatures, we are honouring these heraldic symbols of one of the nation’s most powerful dynasties with The Royal Tudor Beasts Collection.”
Queen’s Beasts v Tudor Beasts
The difference between the Queen's Beasts and the Tudor King’s Beasts lies in the creatures that were included to represent the family of Jane Seymour. Five of the beasts are the same: the Lion of England, the Black Bull of Clarence, the Yale of Beaufort, the Greyhound of Richmond, and the Red Dragon of Wales (though this is referred to as the Tudor Dragon).
The Hampton Court Beasts also feature five uniquely Tudor supporters which were replaced by the White Horse of Hanover, the Griffin of Edward III, the Falcon of the Plantagenets, and the Unicorn of Scotland in the later series.
A new perspective
Jody Clark designed the Queen’s Beasts series, but the mint decided to call on a new artist for the Tudor Series coins. David Lawrence is the mastermind behind these new designs. He is an illustrator, artist, and sculptor with three decades of experience who designed the 2018 and the 2019 Britannia Proof coins. According to him, his new task is targeted to be “a new vision, which is true to the past.”
The design
Lawrence notes that while creating the Tudor Beasts designs, he got his inspiration from the beasts, which otherwise line the door of the Hampton Court. Later, those were stylized in an original and modern way while remaining faithful to the naturalistic elements, of the original beasts.
The Tudor Beasts series will contain the following from the Queen’s Beasts series:
Black Bull of Clarence
Tudor Dragon
The Yale of Beaufort
The Greyhound of Richmond
The Lion of England
The following are the beasts that came from the Seymour family heraldic emblems:
The Seymour Unicorn
The Seymour Panther
The Royal Dragon
The Queen’s Panther
The Queen’s Lion
Mintage
Currently, the Tudor Beast coins have an unlimited mintage, as was the case with the last series.
First release: The Seymour Panther
From the mint: “The Seymour Panther was given to Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife, by the king from the treasury of royal beasts. Like his father before him, Henry VIII adopted the panther as a symbol to reinforce his regal lineage. The statue appears on the viewer’s left-hand side (dexter) and the coat of arms depicts the Duke of Beaufort’s arms, whose family Henry VIII’s grandmother descended from. Possessing the tail of a lion and the claws of an eagle, the heraldic beast is often portrayed as angry and incensed, with fire coming from its mouth and ears.”
On the David Lawrence designed piece, the panther is seen behind the Seymour shield, which displays the Seymour Wings. The panther appears ready to defend its territory with strength and courage.
Second release: The Lion of England
From the mint: “A brave and ferocious lion has featured on the shield of England for as long as it has existed. The lion represents English courage, strength, dignity, and pride – traits that no animals native to the country at the time seemed to possess. The Lion of England assumed royal beast status in the early twelfth century during the reign of Richard I (1189–99), when heraldry was formally established. Used by Henry VIII as his dexter supporter, which means it appears on the viewer’s left-hand side, the Lion of England remains an iconic heraldic symbol to this very day, and perhaps in modern times is more representative of Britishness rather than Englishness. One of the first beasts to flank the parapets of the Moat Bridge of Hampton Court Palace, the crowned lion supports a shield bearing the impaled arms – a combination of two coats of arms – of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour.”
Lawrence again takes the helm in designing this piece. The design features the Royal Tudor Beast Lion of England growling and showing its razor-sharp claws. Its extraordinary mane gives it a royal air, and the royal crown sits majestically atop its regal head.
