The Lion and the Unicorn Rhyme

Nursery Rhyme & History

Origins of "The lion and the unicorn" in British history
The Lion and the Unicorn lyrics date from 1603 when King James VI of Scotland became James I of England unifying the Scottish and English kingdoms. The 'Virgin Queen' Elizabeth 1 named the son of Mary Queen of Scots, James, as her heir. The union of the two countries required a new royal coat of arms combining those of England which featured two lions, and Scotland whose coat of arms featured two Unicorns hence "The lion and the unicorn". A compromise was made thus the British coat of arms has one Lion and one Unicorn and the poem about hence "The Lion and the Unicorn" was created.

The picture depicts the Lion (with the crown) and the Unicorn Coat of Arms. The centre of the Arms depicts the lions of England in the first and fourth quarters, the lion of Scotland in the second and the Harp of Ireland in the third quarter. The motto around the centre means: "Evil to him who evil thinks" which relates to the Order of the Garter. The motto at the bottom means: "God and my Right "

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Written By Linda Alchin