Why three lions

The following year, he married Adeliza of Louvain. Her father also used a lion, and so Henry adapted his own arms to include two. Her family crest featured a lion as well. It took their son, Richard the Lionheart — a man who, in his entire reign, spent barely six months in England despite being born here — unite the three lions of his forebears into the national symbol it is today.

We only know of his arms from two Great Seals, one of which bears the three lions passant-guardant striding left but facing the observer. In he married Adeliza of Louvain, whose father also used a lion on his arms — so Henry adapted his one to include a pair of them. It was their son Richard the Lionheart — famed for his exploits in the Crusades he actually spent very little time in England, was once held for ransom by an Austrian and a German, and was killed by a Frenchman while besieging a castle — who decided to combine all three lions to make up his arms.

That symbol — three golden lions on a red background — to be exact, Gules, three lions passant guardant in pale or — went on to represent the kings of England until , when Edward III added the lilies of the arms of France. England claimed some big wins against the French at key fixtures — such as Agincourt — in a year tournament, although later squads failed to repeat their trophy exploits.

The three lions is the emblem of the Football Association — which would have had to ask for permission to use it due to its royal association. It was released in as a single by English band The Lightning Seeds to mark their participation in that year's European Championships. The history of the three lions symbol goes back to the 12th Century when a red crest with three gold lions would be carried into battle to inspire English troops.

The first one came from Henry I - known as the lion of England - who had a lion on his standard on taking power in Shortly afterwards he married Adeliza, whose father also had a lion on his shield, and to commemorate the event he added a second lion to his standard. In , two lions became three when Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitaine, who also had a lion on her family crest. The three lions have appeared on the Royal Arms of every monarch since Richard I used them in the s.

Then, five years later, he was part of the Arsenal side that famously won the title at Anfield with Michael Thomas's last-minute goal. And the final piece of the treble?

Richard Gough may have insisted that he played in six derbies, including "the one that just might stump you, San Jose Clash v Los Angeles Galaxy" - but John Clements is less convinced. The Azzurri wear blue because it is the colour of Savoia, the ruling house of Italy from to When the Italian Republic was established in , the tricolour was adopted as the national flag - however Italy's famous azure blue kit remained.

So now you know. For a fuller answer see the July 12, edition in the Knowledge Archive , where you can also find out why Germany's away kit is green. I can think of four times this has happened: Brazil in , Germany in , Argentina in and Brazil again in