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Chris Byfield
England have been wearing the iconic Three Lions badge on their shirt for over 150 years. Here’s why.
When England played the first-ever international friendly against Scotland in 1872 they donned a Three Lions crest, with the image having become a symbol of the national side ever since and the subject of Baddiel and Skinner and the Lightning Seeds’ iconic Euro 96 anthem.
While the England faithful will be familiar with the badge, few will be aware of the origin of the three lions. Furthermore, there is another hidden detail in the badge that most are unlikely to have spotted.
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As per The Sun, each of the three lions has a different meaning.
The first represents King Henry I, who was on the throne from 1100 to his death in 1135.
At the time, Henry was widely known as the Lion of England, and following his coronation, the King added a lion to the Royal Arms of England.
Moreover, when he married Adeliza of Louvain in 1121, he demanded a second lion be added to the Royal Arms to honour his father-in-law, Godfrey I, Count of Louvain.
The third lion wasn't added until 1154, when King Henry II, the grandson of Henry I, married Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Henry II implemented the animal to the Royal Arms to honour his wife as she also had a lion on her family crest.
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Moreover, England supporters may have noticed that there are just 10 Tudor roses included on the badge. They are the traditional floral heraldic emblem of England and take their name from the House of Tudor, which united the House of Lancaster and the House of York after the War of the Roses (1455-1487).
The 10 roses were added to the England badge in 1948-49 to represent the 10 divisions of Football Association members at the time.
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