Since the reign of King Robert III in the late 1300s, the Unicorn has been a part of the official seal of Scotland. Robert III turned to the purity and strength of the Unicorn for inspiration in rebuilding his nation; and the Unicorn was soon incorporated into the royal seal.

When James VI of Scotland became King James I of both England and Scotland on the death of Elizabeth I in 1603, he drew up a new royal coat-of- arms that included both the traditional English lion as well as the Scottish Unicorn.

According to folklore, however, the lion and the unicorn hate each other - a tradition going back to the ancient Babylonians in 3,500 B.C. The fight between the two results from the Unicorn representing Spring and the lion representing Summer. Each year the two fight for supremacy; and each year the lion eventually wins.

In the case of Scotland and England, the fight continued, and a popular English nursery rhyme of the period sums up the animosity. It also recalls old wars between England and Scotland that England invariably won:

The lion and the unicorn

Were fighting for the crown;

The lion beat the unicorn

All round about the town.

The lion and the Unicorn remain a part of the British coat-of-arms to this day, supporting the royal shield. The Canadian coat-of-arms is modeled on the British version, so it also features a lion and a Unicorn supporting a central shield.