2022 Queen Elizabeth II Tudor Beasts 'Lion of England' 1oz 999.9 Gold Proof Coin - Box / COA

The Royal Tudor Beasts Collection

The Lion of England is the second coin in a brand new series from the Royal Mint . Launched 6th October 2021 the series will depict all 10 Tudor Beasts of Henry VIII which stand on guard at the entrance to the famous Kings favourite Palace Hampton Court. 

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.