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Henry III Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Henry III Quizzes, Trivia

Henry III Trivia

Henry III Trivia Quizzes

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2 Henry III quizzes and 40 Henry III trivia questions.
1.
  Henry III   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 25 Qns
One of England's longest reigning kings, he is also one that is largely forgotten.
Tough, 25 Qns, tripeuro, Jun 10 12
Tough
tripeuro
695 plays
2.
  Henry III - King of England   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Henry III reigned for many years and yet remains a largely unknown king. Find out more about his life and times by answering the following questions.
Tough, 15 Qns, Philian, Jul 17 04
Tough
Philian
637 plays
Related Topics
  Henry II [People] (3 quizzes)

  Henry IV [Literature] (2 quizzes)

  Henry V [Literature] (3 quizzes)

  Henry VI [Literature] (3 quizzes)

  Henry VII [People] (2 quizzes)

  Henry VIII [People] (11 quizzes)

  Henry VIII, Wives of [People] (28 quizzes)


Henry III Trivia Questions
1. Becoming king as a minor upon the death of his father King John, who acted as Regent for the first four years of Henry III's reign?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: William the Marshal

Stephen Langton was the Archbishop of Canterbury, Edward of Woodstock was the Black Prince and was not born until 1330. Richard of Cornwall was Henry's younger brother. William the Marshal was one of Europe's foremost knights. Born with limited financial resources, he became wealthy due to his success in tournaments and was permitted to marry a wealthy heiress. He supported Henry II in his wars against his sons, (but allowed Richard to escape from a battle which he had lost) and supported John's claim to the throne against his nephew Arthur of Brittany. He was known throughout Europe as simply 'the Marshal'.

2. What was the name of Henry III's father who had preceded him on the throne of England?

From Quiz Henry III - King of England

Answer: John

John's second wife was Isabella of Angouleme and she was the mother of all his children including Henry III. John's first wife was also called Isabella (of Gloucester) but that marriage had been annulled.

3. Who was Henry's mother?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: Isabella of Angouleme

Isabella of Gloucester was John's first wife - a marriage that was ended due to consanguinity. Berengaria of Navarre was the consort of Richard the Lionheart and one who was never in England. Constance of Brittany was the wife of John's elder brother Geoffrey and the mother of his two children, Arthur and Eleanor.

4. How old was Henry III when he succeeded his father as king?

From Quiz Henry III - King of England

Answer: nine

Henry III was the first monarch to be crowned in his minority. This meant that his early years had to be supervised by a succession of advisers. In those days the main adviser was called the "Rector" of the kingdom rather than the Regent.

5. At the time of John's coronation, the Angevin empire comprised of virtually all western France from the Spanish border to the English channel. By the time Henry was crowned, the Angevin empire consisted of which areas?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: Gascony, Bearn, Angouleme, Saintonge and Agenais

In addition to Normandy, the heartland of the duchy of Aquitaine, Poitou, had fallen from the Angevin empire leaving only the south-west corner corner still loyal to Henry III. Henry attempted to regain Poitou and was for a time successful, however its loss was conceded in 1227.

6. What was the name of the man in his seventies who became Henry III's first adviser and who made all the important political and military decisions until the year 1219?

From Quiz Henry III - King of England

Answer: William the Marshall, Earl of Pembroke

All four men played an important part in Henry III's reign but William the Marshall was his first rector, protector and adviser. His relationship with the royal family was helped by the marriage of his daughter to Richard, Henry III's brother. William the Marshall died in 1219 and his powers were taken over by Hugh de Burgh.

7. Henry III was actually crowned twice.Where did the first crowning take place?

From Quiz Henry III - King of England

Answer: St. Peter's Abbey, Gloucester Cathedral, Gloucester.

The date of his first crowning was the 28th October,1216. His mother's chaplet was used for the ceremony. A second crowning took place on the 17th May, 1220 at Westminster Abbey in Middlesex. Most historians believe that the first crowning was done to rally support to the new monarch in the face of the foreign invasion. The second crowning confirmed his more secure position after his enemies had been defeated or bought off.

8. One of the reasons that des Roches and his government were opposed by the barons of England was that he was a 'foreigner'. From where did he come?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: Poitou

Des Roches filled government positions with fellow Poitevins. Since Poitou was no longer in English hands, the barons became concerned that England was coming more and more under foreign influence. Richard Marshal was declared a traitor because of his opposition to des Roches's government. The resentment of foreigners became more acute when Henry began to favour the relatives of his French born queen and his Lusignan half-brothers.

9. What was the name of Henry III's wife whom he married in Canterbury Cathedral in 1236?

From Quiz Henry III - King of England

Answer: Eleanor

Eleanor of Provence was the younger sister of the Queen of France. Though Henry and Eleanor appear to have enjoyed a happy family life, the marriage brought problems in the form of the new queen's relations who flocked to England in great numbers and began to acquire lots of the important jobs.

10. In 1234 Henry assumed direct control of the government, partially as a result of a delegation of barons whose aim was to expel the Poitevins. Shortly thereafter he married. Who was his bride?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: Eleanor of Provence

Marie of France was the betrothed (wife) of Arthur of Brittany, Henry's dead cousin. Margaret of France, the sister of Eleanor of Provence, married Louis IX, king of France and son of Philip II. Blanche of Artois was Henry's daugher-in-law.

11. Under Henry III a large number of foreign noblemen came to England and acquired important positions at court.Which two countries were most strongly represented by this influx of newcomers?

From Quiz Henry III - King of England

Answer: France and Italy

As well as the Queen's connections a large number of Frenchmen from Poitou were encouraged by Peter des Roches who had been largely responsible for Henry III's education. Henry III was also a strong supporter of the Pope and many Italians knew they could expect warm greetings and rewards at his court.

12. How many children did Henry have?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: 9

Henry and Eleanor had nine children but only four survived, two sons and two daughters. Five children, (one daughter and four sons) died in infancy or early childhood. Margaret, their elder daughter, married Alexander III of Scotland and the younger daughter, Beatrice, married John II, Duke of Brittany. Margaret died before her husband, who remarried. When Alexander III died, his widow Yolande, married Arthur II of Brittany, the eldest son of Beatrice and John.

13. How many children did Henry III and his wife have?

From Quiz Henry III - King of England

Answer: 5

Their names were Edward, Margaret, Beatrice, Edmund and Katherine. Edward became Edward I, Edmund (Earl of Lancaster) was known as Crouchback, Margaret married Alexander III of Scotland, and Beatrice who married John, Duke of Brittany.

14. Henry III, king at nine years and eighteen days, was the second youngest monarch to ascend the throne since the Conquest. Who was the youngest monarch to ascend the throne?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: Henry VI

Henry VI was only eight months old when his father, Henry V died of dysentry while in France. Edward VI was only slightly older than Henry III when he took the throne at nine years three months. Richard II took the throne at ten years six months. Edward V, the old man of the group, became king at twelve years five months, and also had the shortest reign of the group since he was one of the princes murdered in the Tower of London.

15. Which saint did Henry III wish to honour by installing his shrine in Westminster Abbey?

From Quiz Henry III - King of England

Answer: Edward the Confessor

Henry III seemed very aware of the power of art as a form of propaganda. Choosing a king as the saint to honour was a good advertisement for the monarchy. During his reign Henry spent huge sums of money on Gothic art. He took a strong personal interest in each project underway and often issued detailed instructions about how things should be done.

16. Henry was born in the old capital of England and the city which continued to hold the treasury. Which was it?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: Winchester

Henry was also known as Henry of Winchester. He was one of the five children of John and Isabella of Angouleme.

17. What happened in England as a result of the Provisions of Oxford?

From Quiz Henry III - King of England

Answer: Henry III had to agree to a ruling council who made most of the big decisions.

Henry was thus forced to agree to sweeping reforms and to yield some of the major decisions to a fifteen man council. This was one of the first steps towards a parliamentary form of government. Civil War broke out in 1264 when Henry tried to reassert his own autocratic control and renounced the Provisions of Oxford.

18. Henry had a younger brother who became famous in his own right as he was elected 'King of the Romans'. Although sometimes at odds with his brother, generally this younger sibling was supportive. Who was he?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: Richard of Cornwall

Geoffrey of Anjou was Henry's great grandfather. Frederich of Sicily was Henry's brother-in-law and the husband of Henry's sister Isabella. John of Brittany was Henry's son-in-law, the husband of Henry's daughter Beatrice. Richard was married several times, each time increasing his wealth until he became arguably, the richest man in Europe. His first wife was the daughter of William Marshal while his second wife, Sanchia, was the sister of Henry's wife Eleanor. As a result, Richard became Henry's brother-in-law as well as his brother.

19. What happened at the Battle of Lewes?

From Quiz Henry III - King of England

Answer: Simon de Montfort defeated the Royal Army and captured both Henry III and Edward the heir to the throne.

At Lewes in Sussex Simon de Montfort demonstrated that he was a much more able soldier than Edward, the king's son and leader of the royal army. After the battle de Montfort found himself in charge of the country and attempted to rule with a council of nine men. He then invited knights from each shire and burgesses from selected towns to join in the new form of parliament.

20. In what way was Simon de Montfort related to Henry III?

From Quiz Henry III - King of England

Answer: He was his brother in law.

Simon de Montfort had married Eleanor,one of Henry III's sisters. She had previously been married to William the Marshall, Earl of Pembroke. For a while de Montfort's power was based on the fact that he had a royal connection and was popular because he agreed with the Provisions of Oxford. However, when he lost the support of the Earl of Gloucester disaster soon followed and he lost the battle of Evesham and his life.

21. Simon de Montfort was appointed seneschal of which of Henry's domains?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: Gascony

In 1248 de Montfort was appointed seneschal of Gascony, one of the few surviving parts of the Angevin empire. He put down civil disturbance but was put on trial. Although cleared, Henry put strictures upon his authority and when he returned to Gascony, rebellion again broke out. Eventually, Henry agreed to pay the expenses that Simon de Montfort had covered personally and de Montfort resigned his office.

22. For how many years did Henry III reign over England?

From Quiz Henry III - King of England

Answer: 56 years

Henry was born on the 1st October 1207 and came to the throne in October 1216. He died on the 16th November, 1272 and thus had one of the longest reigns of any British monarch. Other long reigning rulers include George III at 60 years and Queen Victoria at 64 years.

23. Simon de Montfort had a familial relationship with Henry III. What was it?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: brother-in-law

Originally Simon de Montfort and Henry were friends. When Henry's sister Eleanor, widow of William Marshal second Earl of Pembroke and son of the famous William Marshal, wanted to marry de Montfort, he agreed to it. Since he felt his barons would oppose this marriage to someone they regarded as a foreigner, the marriage was conducted secretly.

24. As a result of the financial crisis, the barons forced Henry to agree to a series of changes to governmental administration. What was this agreement was called?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: Provisions of Oxford

The provisions of Oxford created two administrative bodies - a council of fifteen who would sit permanently with the king and a body of twenty-four to deal specifically with the current crisis. Three sessions of Parliament were to meet annually and all royal castles were to be returned to the crown. This had a particular impact upon the king's half brothers who had been given the bulk of these strongholds. The Lusignans were ultimately driven by force from these strongholds and exiled.

25. Henry III attempted to thwart the agreement he had made with the barons and the matter was referred to another important personage for mediation. To whom were these provisions referred?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: Louis IX of France

Louis IX, not surprisingly, found in favour of his brother-in-law Henry III and the barons then refused to accept the results of the mediation. Louis IX was resentful of any encroachment of royal authority. Alexander III of Scotland was Henry's son-in-law. Holy Roman Emperor Frederich II, another brother-in-law of Henry III died in 1250, prior to the 1258 Provisions of Oxford.

26. Matters came to a head when Simon de Montfort led troops against Henry III and Edward his eldest son. Henry, his brother Richard and his son Edward were captured in a decisive battle. Which battle was this?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: Battle of Lewes

Following the battle, Edward was held captive. According to legend, he was able to escape one day while riding when he persuaded his guards to indulge in a horse race which he judged. After the race, mounted on a fresh horse while his guards' horses were winded, he escaped.

27. One year after their defeat, the royalist forces led by Edward, the king's elder son, were successful in defeating the forces of the barons. Which battle was this?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: Battle of Evesham

In the battle, Simon de Montfort was killed and his body mutilated. The rest of Henry's reign was occupied in resolving the problems arising from the rebellion. Henry remained king but more of a figurehead since authority was wielded in his name by his son. Henry gradually slipped into senility and died in 1272.

28. Henry's strong willed wife survived him by almost 20 years. Although not well liked, she remained in England and retired to an abbey. In which abbey did she become a nun and find her final resting place?

From Quiz Henry III

Answer: Amesbury

Eleanor was a woman of strong opinions and exerted considerable influence during the reigns of both her husband and her son.

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