Having lost much of his Kingdom of the West Saxons, Alfred spent some of 878 hiding and rebuilding his connections in the Somerset Levels. By Easter of that year, he reemerged and led an army against the Vikings. He eventually reclaimed the Kingdom of the West Saxons and more to become "King of the Anglo-Saxons."
2. Ethelred
Answer: "The Unready"
Originally Ethelred's nickname was "Unraed" - meaning "poorly advised." However, the meaning of "unready" has changed.
3. Edward (r. 1042-1066)
Answer: "The Confessor"
Edward was nicknamed posthumously. The monks of Westminster were eager to promote the piousness of their early benefactor.
4. William I
Answer: "The Conquerer"
The illegitimate William was also known as William "The Bastard" until he conquered England in 1066.
5. Victoria
Answer: "Grandmother of Europe"
With intermarriage, many monarchs of Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries were related to Queen Victoria, most notably were George V of the UK and Wilhelm II of Germany who fought each other in World War I.
6. Richard I
Answer: "The Lionheart"
Richard was nicknamed because of his military prowess. However, this was gained overseas in France and on Crusade in the Holy Land; he spent only about 6 months of his reign in England.
7. Elizabeth I
Answer: "The Virgin Queen"
Elizabeth, daughter of Anne Boleyn, never married and never had a child. On her death, her cousin James VI of Scotland became King of England (as James I).
8. Edward I (r. 1272 - 1307)
Answer: "Hammer of the Scots"
Edward I is posthumously nicknamed because of his grave's epithet: "Scottorum Malleus." The fact that Scotland remained an independent country until the 18th Century belies the epithet. He is also known as "Longshanks" because ... well he had long legs.
9. John
Answer: "Lackland"
John was the son of Henry II. While his brothers Richard I and Geoffrey received Duchies as early inheritances, John was said to "lack land." John is best known as a bad king who fought with his nobles and the Pope. Eventually he was forced by the barons to sign the Magna Carta.
10. Henry VIII
Answer: "Old Coppernose"
In 1544, Henry VIII minted the third issue of the English penny. He debased the silver to only 1/3 with 2/3 copper. Points of relief - like the King's nose - on the coin would have the silver rub off and expose the underlying copper.
This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.
