Queen's Beasts
Encyclopedia
The Queen's Beasts are ten heraldic statues depicting the genealogy of Queen Elizabeth II. They were commissioned by the Ministry of Works from James Woodford
RA, sculptor, to stand in front of the temporary annexe to Westminster Abbey
for the Coronation in 1953
. The Beasts are some six-foot (1.83 m) high and the sculptor was paid the sum of £2,750. They were cast in plaster and could not therefore be left in the open air. After the Coronation they were removed to the Great Hall in Hampton Court Palace
; in 1957 they were relocated to St George's Hall at Windsor Castle
. The Beasts were taken into storage in April 1958 whilst their future was considered. It was eventually decided to offer them to the Commonwealth Governments and Canada being the senior nation was offered them first. In June 1959 Canada accepted the Beasts and they were shipped there in July. Originally the only part of the statues to be coloured was their heraldic shields but for the celebrations of the Canadian federation in 1967 the Beasts were painted in their heraldic colours. They are now in the care of the Canadian Museum of Civilization
in Ottawa. In 1958 Sir Henry Ross, Chairman of the Distillers Company, Edinburgh paid for Portland stone
replicas of these statues which are on display outside the Palm House
at Kew Gardens
.
The Beasts have been commemorated in the following forms: bone china figurines, cups and saucers, glass tray set, plaster models, porcelain candlesticks, British postage stamps issued in 1998, silver tea spoons, tea towel. The beasts have been made into topiary
at Hall Place
, Bexley
.
The Beasts are:
James Woodford
James Woodford was an English sculptor-Life:Woodford was born in Nottingham in 1893. His father was a lace designer. Woodford started studying at the Nottingham School of Art, but his studies were curtailed when he enlisted during the First World War. After the war, he continued his training at...
RA, sculptor, to stand in front of the temporary annexe to Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
for the Coronation in 1953
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
The Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was the ceremony in which the newly ascended monarch, Elizabeth II, was crowned Queen of the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ceylon, and Pakistan, as well as taking on the role of Head of the Commonwealth...
. The Beasts are some six-foot (1.83 m) high and the sculptor was paid the sum of £2,750. They were cast in plaster and could not therefore be left in the open air. After the Coronation they were removed to the Great Hall in Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace is a royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Greater London; it has not been inhabited by the British royal family since the 18th century. The palace is located south west of Charing Cross and upstream of Central London on the River Thames...
; in 1957 they were relocated to St George's Hall at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
. The Beasts were taken into storage in April 1958 whilst their future was considered. It was eventually decided to offer them to the Commonwealth Governments and Canada being the senior nation was offered them first. In June 1959 Canada accepted the Beasts and they were shipped there in July. Originally the only part of the statues to be coloured was their heraldic shields but for the celebrations of the Canadian federation in 1967 the Beasts were painted in their heraldic colours. They are now in the care of the Canadian Museum of Civilization
Canadian Museum of Civilization
The Canadian Museum of Civilization is Canada's national museum of human history and the most popular and most-visited museum in Canada....
in Ottawa. In 1958 Sir Henry Ross, Chairman of the Distillers Company, Edinburgh paid for Portland stone
Portland stone
Portland stone is a limestone from the Tithonian stage of the Jurassic period quarried on the Isle of Portland, Dorset. The quarries consist of beds of white-grey limestone separated by chert beds. It has been used extensively as a building stone throughout the British Isles, notably in major...
replicas of these statues which are on display outside the Palm House
Palm House
A palm house is a greenhouse that is specialised for the growing of palms and other tropical and subtropical plants. Palm houses require constant heat and were built as status symbols in Victorian Britain...
at Kew Gardens
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, usually referred to as Kew Gardens, is 121 hectares of gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Kew in southwest London, England. "The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew" and the brand name "Kew" are also used as umbrella terms for the institution that runs...
.
The Beasts have been commemorated in the following forms: bone china figurines, cups and saucers, glass tray set, plaster models, porcelain candlesticks, British postage stamps issued in 1998, silver tea spoons, tea towel. The beasts have been made into topiary
Topiary
Topiary is the horticultural practice of training live perennial plants, by clipping the foliage and twigs of trees, shrubs and subshrubs to develop and maintain clearly defined shapes, perhaps geometric or fanciful; and the term also refers to plants which have been shaped in this way. It can be...
at Hall Place
Hall Place
Hall Place is a former stately home, today a Grade I listed building and Scheduled Ancient Monument, beside the River Cray on the outskirts of Crayford, west of Bexleyheath and north-east of Old Bexley...
, Bexley
Bexley
Bexley is an South East London]] in the London Borough of Bexley, London, England. It is located on the banks of the River Cray south of the Roman Road, Watling Street...
.
The Beasts are:
- The LionLion (heraldry)The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises bravery, valour, strength, and royalty, since traditionally, it is regarded as the king of beasts.-Attitudes:...
of EnglandKingdom of EnglandThe Kingdom of England was, from 927 to 1707, a sovereign state to the northwest of continental Europe. At its height, the Kingdom of England spanned the southern two-thirds of the island of Great Britain and several smaller outlying islands; what today comprises the legal jurisdiction of England... - The GriffinGriffinThe griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
of Edward IIIEdward III of EnglandEdward III was King of England from 1327 until his death and is noted for his military success. Restoring royal authority after the disastrous reign of his father, Edward II, Edward III went on to transform the Kingdom of England into one of the most formidable military powers in Europe... - The Falcon of the PlantagenetsHouse of PlantagenetThe House of Plantagenet , a branch of the Angevins, was a royal house founded by Geoffrey V of Anjou, father of Henry II of England. Plantagenet kings first ruled the Kingdom of England in the 12th century. Their paternal ancestors originated in the French province of Gâtinais and gained the...
- The Black Bull of ClarenceDuke of ClarenceDuke of Clarence is a title which has been traditionally awarded to junior members of the English and British Royal families. The first three creations were in the Peerage of England, the fourth in the Peerage of Great Britain, and the fifth in the Peerage of the United Kingdom.The title was first...
- The YaleYale (mythical creature)The yale is a mythical beast found in European mythology. Most descriptions make it an antelope- or goat-like four-legged creature with large horns that it can swivel in any direction....
of BeaufortDuke of BeaufortDuke of Beaufort is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by Charles II in 1682 for Henry Somerset, 3rd Marquess of Worcester, a descendant of Charles Somerset, 1st Earl of Worcester, illegitimate son of Henry Beaufort, 3rd Duke of Somerset, a Lancastrian leader in the Wars of the... - The White Lion of MortimerMortimerMortimer is a popular English name, used both as a surname and a given name.- Norman origins :The origin of the name is almost certainly Norman, but the details are disputed....
- The White Greyhound of RichmondWhite Greyhound of RichmondThe White Greyhound of Richmond is one of the Queen's Beasts, a greyhound featured prominently in Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. According to the Cambridge University Heraldic and Genealogical Society:...
- The Red Dragon of WalesPrincipality of WalesThe Principality of Wales existed between 1216 and 1542, encompassing two-thirds of modern Wales.It was formally founded in 1216 at the Council of Aberdyfi, and later recognised by the 1218 Treaty of Worcester between Llywelyn the Great of Wales and Henry III of England...
- The UnicornUnicornThe unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...
of ScotlandKingdom of ScotlandThe Kingdom of Scotland was a Sovereign state in North-West Europe that existed from 843 until 1707. It occupied the northern third of the island of Great Britain and shared a land border to the south with the Kingdom of England... - The White Horse of HanoverHouse of HanoverThe House of Hanover is a deposed German royal dynasty which has ruled the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , the Kingdom of Hanover, the Kingdom of Great Britain, the Kingdom of Ireland and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland...