Berkeley Chess Royal Beast Cardinal Chess Men

• UK-made and intricately sculpted.
• Unique and imposing design.
• Large 5.8 inch King.
• Solid crushed stone resin pieces.
• Rich red and cream coloured finish.
• Felt-covered bases.

A striking and atmospheric set of heavy stone crushed resin chess pieces, featuring fabulous designs created in the UK by the master craftsmen at Berkeley Chess, and inspired by the Royal Beasts of Hampton Court Palace.

The original ‘King’s Beasts’ were carved for King Henry VIII at Hampton Court Palace over 400 years ago. Many stone beasts decorated the walls of Hampton Court, until King William III used them to fill the palace moat during his reign. Several of the beasts were retrieved in 1909 when the moat was cleared. The Queen had her own set of ten beasts created, largely inspired by Henry’s originals, and they are the ones which we see adorning many regal designs today, such as crests and shields.

This unusual and impressive set of pieces features designs based on the most iconic Royal Beasts, and are coloured with a rich red and cream finish.

The King: Lion of England
The Queen: Unicorn of England
The Bishop: White Lion of Mortimer & Black Bull of Clarence
The Knight: White Horse of Hanover & Yale of Beaufort
The Rook: Griffin of Edward III & Falcon of the Plantagenets
The Pawn: Greyhound of Richmond & Red Dragon of Wales