William I the Lion
d. 1214
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About
William the Lion reigned for forty-nine years, the longest of any king of Scots before the Union. He was captured at Alnwick in 1174 and had to acknowledge English overlordship to get home, then bought the kingdom's independence back fifteen years later for ten thousand marks. It was he who adopted the red lion rampant that is still Scotland's royal banner.
Research notes
✓ DOCUMENTED (web-confirmed 25 Jul 2026): WILLIAM I 'THE LION', KING OF SCOTS (r. 1165-1214), the longest-reigning medieval Scottish king; captured at Alnwick 1174 (Treaty of Falaise), later bought back Scotland's independence. Son of Henry of Scotland, Earl of Huntingdon. Father (natural) of Isabel (our line). Direct ancestor - a crowned King of Scots. Added 25 Jul 2026. ||2 Nov 2026|| NAME field: regnal numeral added ('William the Lion' -> 'William I the Lion') so that searches by numeral find this record (housekeeping after Henry I was missed under 'Henry of England').