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The Three Lions came into existence through the reign of Richard I, the Lionheart, around the turn of the twelfth century, as the official Royal Coat of Arms of England, and remained so for the next 140 years.
When Richard I came to the throne, so too did his personal coat of arms . The 'three lions passant guardant in pale' appeared in gold on a red background. Before this point, only two golden lions had adorned a red crest, following the Norman Conquest of 1066 (the House of Normandy). Then following the succession of King Henry II (the House of Plantagenet) in 1158, it became one golden lion. Differing stories will have you believe that Richard's lions were based on the original Normandy arms, with an extra lion added to represent the ongoing Anglo-Norman alliance. Another story will tell us that two leopards were combined with another from Aquitaine, a region in South-West France, on the acquisition of more territories to the crown. But the more cynical will tell you that it was simply down to an artist being only bothered to design three lions for England, just as they had designed only two for Normandy. The number of lions had no apparent significance, as this was Heraldic Coats of Arms in its infancy, based on decoration, above any other reason. Yet another version could be more simple, King Richard simply brought together the lions of Normandy and Plantagenet, and created the new Three Lions.
The lions themselves do hold significance. There are so many Heraldic Lions, that the very stance of each means something. These three lions are, 'lion rampant guardant', a walking lion. The dexter forepaw is raised, with the other three paws remaining on the ground, and the head turned to face the spectator. It is these three lions that make up the England Coat of Arms. This Lion of England can only be used when it has been honourably warranted, that is, Royalty must give its express permission for its use. So it is the Royal Monarch of the United Kingdom that own the three lions.
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