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War of the Roses Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
War of the Roses Quizzes, Trivia

War of the Roses Trivia

War of the Roses Trivia Quizzes

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6 quizzes and 70 trivia questions.
1.
  Wars of the Roses    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The Wars of the Roses were a series of civil conflicts fought over the Crown of England from 1455-1487. The two warring factions were the Yorkists and the Lancastrians, both cadet branches of the House of Plantagenet. How much do you know about this war?
Average, 10 Qns, Reamar42, Sep 03 24
Average
Reamar42 gold member
Sep 03 24
231 plays
2.
  The Wars of the Roses   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
One of England's main civil wars that brought an end to the Plantagenet Dynasty.
Average, 10 Qns, Jayjaw, Jan 11 14
Average
Jayjaw
1845 plays
3.
  The War of the Roses   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A little quiz about the War of the Roses. Enjoy!
Tough, 10 Qns, deadmeat, Aug 19 05
Tough
deadmeat
3815 plays
4.
  During, but not About: The War of the Roses    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The War of the Roses technically lasted from May 22, 1455 (the Battle of St. Albans) to August 22, 1485 (the Battle of Bosworth Field). Ready for a quiz that doesn't focus on any of it, but takes place at the same time?
Average, 10 Qns, Not_Worthy, Jan 25 23
Average
Not_Worthy
Jan 25 23
370 plays
5.
  Women of the Wars of the Roses    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A surprising number of women played important (though often backroom) roles in the Wars of the Roses. Here's some questions about a few of them.
Tough, 10 Qns, gabbatoir, May 19 15
Tough
gabbatoir
1350 plays
6.
  Battles of the Wars of the Roses    
Multiple Choice
 20 Qns
Depending on where you start and finish counting, there were 17 battles during the 30 year conflict knows as the Wars of the Roses. This quiz has a Yorkist slant and will probably not be too difficult for people who know the period well.
Difficult, 20 Qns, gabbatoir, Feb 15 11
Difficult
gabbatoir
852 plays
Related Topics
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War of the Roses Trivia Questions

1. The two sides in the war were the Plantagenet houses of York and Lancaster, which were both descended from sons of Edward III. Edmund of Langley was the son that the House of York descended from, but who did the House of Lancaster descend from?

From Quiz
The Wars of the Roses

Answer: John of Gaunt

John of Gaunt was the third son of Edward III and Edmund of Langley was the fourth son. All of Edward's sons were named after where they were born, Edward of Woodstock for Woodstock Palace, Lionel of Antwerp for Antwerp in Belgium, John of Gaunt for Ghent in Belgium, Edmund of Langley for King's Langley in Hertfordshire and Thomas of Woodstock also for Woodstock Palace.

2. Who was the father of Margaret of Anjou's son, Edward Prince of Wales?

From Quiz Women of the Wars of the Roses

Answer: Henry VI

While both the dukes of Somerset (father and son) featured as possible fathers for the Prince of Wales in contemporary propaganda, there is no evidence whatsoever to support this. Some modern authors have suggested William Duke of Suffolk as Margaret's lover, but he died long before Edward was conceived.

3. 1455 - Which three members of the nobility were killed at the first Battle of St Albans?

From Quiz Battles of the Wars of the Roses

Answer: Somerset, Northumberland, Clifford

Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset; Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland and Lord Thomas Clifford, all fighting on the side of Henry VI, were killed in the battle. Somerset, and possibly Northumberland, were targetted by York and his Nevill allies, the Earls of Salisbury and Warwick, though Clifford most likely died defending the barricades leading into the town.

4. Hostilities broke out in 1455. Which is considered to be the first major battle of the War of the Roses?

From Quiz The War of the Roses

Answer: St Albans

The king, Henry VI, marched northwards from London, intending to halt the advance of the Duke of York's forces. His army was defeated on May 22nd 1455 and the Queen and her young son Edward fled into exile.

5. Which was the first battle of the war?

From Quiz The Wars of the Roses

Answer: The First Battle of St Albans

The battle happened when Richard of York (the grandson of Edmund of Langley) became unhappy with King Henry VI's (great grandson of John of Gaunt) adviser Edmund Beaufort, Duke of Somerset (grandson of John of Gaunt through an illegitimate son). In 1455 the two sides clashed in the First Battle of St Albans, in which Somerset was killed.

6. Cecily Nevill, Duchess of York, was regarded by many as one of the most beautiful women in England. What nickname did she have that reflected this?

From Quiz Women of the Wars of the Roses

Answer: Rose of Raby

Cecily was known as the Rose of Raby. (She was born in Raby Castle). The Rose of Rouen was her son Edward IV.

7. 1459 - Which members of the nobility were taken prisoner after the Battle of Blore Heath?

From Quiz Battles of the Wars of the Roses

Answer: Thomas and John Nevill

Salisbury's middle sons, Thomas and John, were captured after Blore Heath and imprisoned in Chester Castle. They were released after the Battle of Northampton.

8. In 1459 outside Ludlow, at Ludford bridge, a key member of the Yorkist forces defected to the Lancastrian cause, leading to a full scale retreat. Who was this defector?

From Quiz The War of the Roses

Answer: Andrew Trollope

Andrew Trollope was the captain of the Calais troops. It is rumoured that that night, Andrew Trollope deserted from Warwick, taking the Calais garrison and the Yorkist plan of battle over to the king.

9. Who was King Henry VI's Queen, who stood by him during the whole of the conflict?

From Quiz Wars of the Roses

Answer: Margaret of Anjou

Margaret of Anjou was born in France in 1430, and was married to Henry VI in 1455. Throughout her husband's mental breakdowns, the war, and his capture, Margaret ruled in his name, raised armies, and fought for his crown. She and Henry VI were defeated and captured after the Battle of Tewkesbury in 1471, and she was ransomed by the French king Louis XI in 1475, dying in exile in 1482.

10. What did Richard of York try to claim in 1460?

From Quiz The Wars of the Roses

Answer: The throne

Richard's brother in law Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury defeated Henry VI in the Battle of Northampton and captured the king. Richard of York who was in Ireland at the time went to London and claimed the throne as the senior descendant of Lionel of Antwerp (the second son of Edward III) though through a daughter, but all the gathered nobles said he had no right, all they agreed was that Richard could be the next heir after Henry VI's son Edward of Westminster, though Richard did rule as a king for the next few months.

11. What was Anne Duchess of Exeter's second husband?

From Quiz Women of the Wars of the Roses

Answer: Thomas St Leger

The Duke and Duchess of Exeter did not have a happy marriage and in 1472, by Act of Parliament, Anne divorced her husband. She had been living with Thomas St Leger for some time before this, scandalising much of Europe. They married in 1474 and Anne died two years later giving birth to their only daughter.

12. 1459 - What was the name of the leader of the Calais garrison who deserted the Duke of York's camp at Ludford Bridge?

From Quiz Battles of the Wars of the Roses

Answer: Andrew Trollope

Although the Calais garrison were loyal to Warwick, Captain of Calais, they were not prepared to take up arms against their king, Henry VI. When Henry offered pardons to all who would come to his side, Trollope led a sizeable number away from York's camp, leaving him sorely under-defended. The Yorkists fled, York and his son Edmund, Earl of Rutland to Ireland, while Warwick, Salisbury and York's oldest son, Edward Earl of March, fled to Calais.

13. Henry VI had a famous or infamous wife, depending on your point of view. Who was this powerful woman?

From Quiz The War of the Roses

Answer: Margaret of Anjou

Margaret often led the Lancastrian forces during the Wars of the Roses and is said to have dictated strategy. Henry is often seen as a weak king, ill suited to the role of a medieval monarch. Margaret was born in March 1430.

14. Who succeeded Henry VI as King in 1461?

From Quiz Wars of the Roses

Answer: Edward IV

Edward IV, son of Richard, Duke of York, inherited the Yorkist claim to the throne upon the death of his father at the Battle of Wakefield in 1460. After defeating the Lancasters in the battles of Mortimer's Cross and Towton in 1461, Edward IV deposed Henry VI and was crowned in June, 1461. He was deposed in 1470 after a revolt led by his former advisor Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick, but regained the throne in 1471 after the Battle of Tewkesbury. Edward reigned until his death in 1483.

15. What was the date of the Battle of Wakefield, in which Richard of York was killed?

From Quiz The Wars of the Roses

Answer: 30th December 1460

Richard was killed along with his brother-in-law Richard Neville, Earl of Salisbury and his second son Edmund, Earl of Rutland. The opposing Lancastrian force was led by Henry Beaufort, Duke of Somerset, the son of Edmund Beaufort. Their heads were later mounted on the gates of York which caused great insult to Richard's eldest son Edward (later Edward IV).

16. What penalty was suffered by Alice Montacute, Countess of Salisbury, in 1459?

From Quiz Women of the Wars of the Roses

Answer: attainder

Alice Montacute, Countess of Salisbury, was the only woman attainted during the so-called Parliament of Devils in 1459. She was found guilty of treason along with her husband, son and brother-in-law, the Duke of York. She had mostly likely been raising troops in the north of England on her husband's behalf.

17. 1459 - Who was the only woman attainted at the 1459 Parliament of Devils after the flight from Ludlow?

From Quiz Battles of the Wars of the Roses

Answer: Alice Montacute Countess of Salisbury

Alice Montacute may well have been at Ludlow Castle and left at the same time as her husband, son and the Duke of York. She was certainly in Ireland shortly after that. It isn't clear from the sources just why Alice was attainted, but it was quite possibly for raising troops on her husband's behalf.

18. Richard Duke of York had a thin claim to the Crown and tried through force of arms to take it, he never actually got his hands on the crown. But which title did he attain?

From Quiz The War of the Roses

Answer: Lord Protector

Richard's father, the Earl of Cambridge, had been executed for treason in 1415. In 1452, Richard Duke of York was made Lord Protector, but had to give up this position with the King's recovery from insanity and the birth of an heir, Edward, Prince of Wales, the following year.

19. In 1399 Richard II was usurped by this man, which led to the establishing of the House of Lancaster, and ultimately to the Wars of the Roses. Who was this usurper?

From Quiz Wars of the Roses

Answer: Henry Bolingbroke

Henry Bolingbroke was the son of John of Gaunt, the third son of King Edward III. Henry and Richard were first cousins and got along well until Henry was involved in the Lord's Appellant's rebellion in 1387. Richard did not punish Henry for this action, but when John of Gaunt died in 1399, Richard denied Henry's assumption of his father's titles. Henry gathered support among the nobles and deposed Richard II, being crowned Henry IV in October, 1399.

20. Edward IV, the son of Richard of York, won the Battle of Towton in 1461 and gained the throne. What else was significant about it?

From Quiz The Wars of the Roses

Answer: It was the bloodiest battle ever fought on English soil

The Battle of Towton is the bloodiest battle ever fought in England, meaning it had the most casualties with 28,000 men dead between both sides. Edward defeated Henry Beaufort, the man who had defeated his father. This severely diminished the Lancasterian forces and Henry VI and his commanders fled into exile paving the way for Edward to take the throne. The nobles and people alike declared him king when he entered London.

21. What was the date of Elizabeth Wydeville's secret marriage to Edward IV?

From Quiz Women of the Wars of the Roses

Answer: 1 May 1464

Edward and Elizabeth were married at Elizabeth's home in Grafton on 1 May 1464.

22. 1460 - What was George Nevill, Bishop of Exeter, given after the Battle of Northampton?

From Quiz Battles of the Wars of the Roses

Answer: The Great Seal of England

George Nevill, Salisbury's youngest son, became chancellor of England for the first time in 1460 at the age of 28. He continued in the role until personally sacked by Edward IV in 1465. In 1470, his brother, Warwick, reinstated him during the Readeption of Henry VI. ('Readeption' is the recognized historical term).

23. Richard Duke of York was killed at which major battle?

From Quiz The War of the Roses

Answer: Battle of Wakefield

Richard led his troops out of his fortress at Sandal Castle and, perhaps over confidently attacked the Royalist forces. He was defeated and killed, and his head was put on a pike by the victorious Lancastrian armies.

24. Which foreign power sided with Edward IV during the wars?

From Quiz Wars of the Roses

Answer: Burgundy

At the time of the Wars of the Roses, the Duchy of Burgundy was a powerful state in Western Europe and was often at odds with France, which naturally led to alliances with England. Edward IV's sister, Margaret, married the Burgundian Duke Charles the Bold in 1468. When Edward IV was deposed in 1470, he took refuge with Charles and Margaret, and Charles supported Edward in his efforts to regain the throne.

25. Who did Edward IV marry in 1464, much to the displeasure of his nobles and family?

From Quiz The Wars of the Roses

Answer: Elizabeth Woodville

Elizabeth was the widow of a Lancastrian knight and was five years older than Edward, something that was frowned upon at the time. She brought her large family to court and arranged many good marriages for her sisters. This caused great upset among Edward's nobles, most notably Richard Neville the Kingmaker, Earl of Warwick, Edward's cousin and closest friend who had helped him gain the throne.

26. 1460 - Why did the Duke of York leave the safety of Sandal Castle in December 1460? (leading to the Battle of Wakefield)

From Quiz Battles of the Wars of the Roses

Answer: It could have been any of these reasons.

While there is no proof that York was betrayed, and it is doubtful that he was quick tempered enough to respond to insults, either of these reasons could conceivably be correct. The most likely reason (though also by no means proven) was that he rode out to protect a group of returning foragers.

27. Which member of Edward IV's family sided with Warwick the Kingmaker and the Lancastrians in a rebellion in 1469?

From Quiz The Wars of the Roses

Answer: George, Duke of Clarence

George, Duke of Clarence was the younger brother of Edward and his heir at the time. George was also displeased with Edward's marriage and, using an old Lancastrian tale that Edward was not the son of Richard of York but a bastard son of a Welsh archer, George tried to claim the throne for himself with Warwick's help. This backfired when Warwick, in need of funds, sided with Henry VI's wife Margaret of Anjou and agreed to put her husband back on the throne with her son as heir. This later caused George to go back to his brother's side and aided him in deafeating and killing Warwick at the Battle of Barnet in 1471.

28. Margaret Beaufort, despite four marriages, had only one son. Who was he?

From Quiz Women of the Wars of the Roses

Answer: Henry Tudor (Henry VII)

Margaret and her first husband, Edmund Tudor, had one son who later became Henry VII.

29. 1460 - How did the Earl of Salisbury die?

From Quiz Battles of the Wars of the Roses

Answer: Lynched by a mob at Pontefract Castle.

The Earl of Salisbury survived the Battle of Wakefield and was taken to Pontefract Castle where he was to be placed in captivity. Possibly with the connivance of Robert Holland, Bastard of Exeter, he was seized by the mob and beheaded - also possibly by Holland.

30. At the battle of Barnet in April 1471 a major figure on the Wars of the Roses was killed. Known as the "kingmaker", what was the real name of the Earl of Warwick?

From Quiz The War of the Roses

Answer: Richard Neville

Referred to as "the kingmaker", Richard Neville wielded considerable power. The battle was marked by two unfortunate mistakes which contributed to the Lancastrian defeat. Firstly, the Yorkist army by luck drew up in the dark closer than expected to Warwick's army causing their artillery to over shoot. Secondly, in the fog of battle in the morning, Warwick's centre and left flanks mistook each other for enemey troops or traitors and set upon each other.

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