7. How did the Scottish king, William the Lion, acquire his nickname?
From Quiz Really Tough Trivia
Answer:
He added a lion to the Scottish coat of arms
William I of Scotland became king following the death of his brother, Malcolm IV, in 1165. His reign was one of the longest in history, lasting over 49 years. Although he was certainly brave, his one important military expedition ended in disaster. In 1174 he invaded England, and was captured by Henry II. In return for his release, he was forced to recognize Henry as his feudal overlord. Until the time of William, the Scots coat of arms had been "Or, a double tressure fleury-counter-fleury, gules." William added a "lion rampant" to the arms, which are still the Royal Coat of Arms of Scotland to this day. William died in 1214. For movie buffs, there is a scene in Roman Polanski's "Macbeth", which shows the Scottish army marching into battle carrying the royal standard, including the lion. Since Macbeth died over 100 years before the reign of King William, this is a glaring mistake.