Discovering the History Behind England’s Three Lions

Some 870 years ago, Henry II married Eleanor of Aquitaine in a ceremony that was no doubt befitting the coming together of two noble families. What’s that got to do with football? Well, we’ll get to that, but needless to say it’s all to do with the presence of lions on their family crests.

Fast forward the best part of a century, and England’s national football teams – as well as in other sports, like cricket – bear the ‘three lions’ on their shirt. It’s become their nickname and their identity. There’s even been songs written about the kings of the jungle that have made it into England’s badge. So, how did it all come about? Read on so that the next time you’re belting out ‘three lions on our shirt’, you’ll know exactly why.

Going into Battle

England's banner of armsWhen Harry Kane and co kiss the badge after scoring for England, they’re perhaps totally unaware that the history of the three lions graphic dates back as far as the eleventh century. The Normans were an interesting mix of Viking invaders and local French women, creating a new generation of Gallic-Scandinavians that pledged allegiance to King Charles III of West Francia (or France, to you and me).

With Norse blood coursing through their veins, it wouldn’t be long before the Normans sought new ground to conquer. So, they headed out to parts of Europe for a dust-up, before eventually making their way to England. After initially engaging in running battles with the English as part of the Norman Conquest, a truce was sworn when the sister of Richard II of Normandy, Emma, married the King of England, Ethelred II.

Soon, the Normans were a dominant force in English culture, lending their expertise on the battlefield too in a bid to ward off invaders. Their colours were three gold lions on a red background, which would also become the symbol of the monarchy too. So why three lions? The first was taken from the moniker of Henry I, whose standard was a golden lion which gave legs to his nickname: the Lion of England.

The second came when Henry I married Adeliza of Louvain, whose family crest also bore a lion. The third came when Henry II, the grandson of Henry I, married Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1154; bringing another lion into the noble family. Richard I, who succeeded Henry II, adopted the three lions motif on a red background in his colours when taking the throne. The imagery also lent itself to his nickname: Richard the Lionheart.

What Has This All Got to Do with Football?

FA logo
FA logo

History lesson aside, the ‘three lions’ imagery has been a consistent presence in the English monarchy in the many centuries that have passed since the Norman Conquest. The lions have also become part of English folklore in the more contemporary era too. Fast forward to the 1860s, and the early roots of football were born. Teams of players were formed, playing a sport that bore some trace to the beautiful game as we know it today.

Many wanted football to become better organised, with formalised rules and a structure of leagues and competitions. Step forward Ebenezer Morley, a solicitor by trade but lover of football in his spare time. He wanted football to have a strict rulebook, and set up a meeting in October 1863 with like-minded individuals in London to discuss their ideas.

That was, in essence, the formation of the Football Association: the governing body of the sport in England which still rules the roost to this day. Like all organisations, the FA needed a logo in order to establish itself visually. They took inspiration from the Kingdom of England coat of arms, which as we know features those three gold lions on a red background.

A version of that became the visual identity of the Football Association, who also used the design as a feature of the England national team’s playing kit. They wore that for the first time in a friendly against Scotland in 1872 – football’s inaugural international game.

Three Lions on Our Shirt

Three lions England team logo
England National Team logo

What’s unique about the three lions imagery is that the FA, and therefore the England national team, have to effectively ‘licence’ it for use via the Royal Family. The monarchy gives permission for England to use the three lions on their crest, although it’s not impossible that one day they could prevent them from using the royal emblem should they so wish.

As such, England’s kit-makers have been reluctant to change the logo over the years for fear of a royal backlash. However, some tweaks have been made – the crown was removed from the crest’s design back in 1949 (you can still see that on the crest of the England cricket team), while the ten Tudor roses – used to depict both the emblem’s royal heritage and the ten levels of English football – were also removed as the beautiful game expanded.

Ever since then, the Three Lions have remained intact and unchanged – even as other elements of the England kit have drawn controversy for their navigations away from the traditional. In fact, so integral to England’s footballing identity are the three lions that former players and managers have come forward to defend them from change. “The most important thing that has to be on an England shirt are the Three Lions. It’s our iconic symbol,” former head coach, Gareth Southgate, explained. “It is what distinguishes us not only from other football teams around the world but England rugby and cricket.”

When Nike decided to change the St George’s Cross design from its traditional red and white to a multi-coloured alternative in 2024, it caused uproar. But others were more insistent that the three lions would never be tampered with.

John Barnes, who won 79 caps for England, said:

I think there would be a different conversation to be had if you were going to change the Three Lions because that’s what England is.

If there were different Lions or they weren’t going to be on there – for me – that would have been a proper debate to be had.