The Queen's Beasts Quiz | Specialized History

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. A set of six-foot statues of the Queen's Beasts was created for this event in 1953. Which?

Answer: Queen Elizabeth II's coronation

The Queen's Beasts are human-sized replicas of ten animals (some real, some mythic) that were important to the various Houses of UK royalty and nobility. These statues were placed at the entrance of Westminster Abbey for the coronation ceremony of Elizabeth II. You can see the Heraldic Beasts in all their glory at Kew Gardens today.

2. Griffins have the head and talons of an eagle and the body, hind paws and tail of a lion. In heraldry, this combination signifies wisdom and strength, with "wisdom leading". The Griffin among the Queen's Beasts is referred to as "The Griffin of ______", who ruled England from 1327-1377 and fathered the Black Prince.

Answer: Edward III

Wisdom and strength might well refer to Edward III, who wrested control of the English throne from his mother Isabella (aptly nicknamed "the She-Wolf of France") and her lover, Roger Mortimer. Edward ruled for fifty years during a time of great change and upheaval.

He was the first monarch to quarter the fleurs-de-lys of France with the lions of England on his shield which was much more than a decorative change, since adding those little flowers indicated a claim to the French throne.

3. The Queen's Beasts include two lions: The Lion of England, first used by Henry II and possibly earlier, and certainly by Richard I (Coeur de Lion - makes sense) and the white Lion of Mortimer. In British royal heraldry, what are the two most common poses for lions?

Answer: Passant and rampant

The Lion of England is always crowned, whereas the Lion of Mortimer (a great English noble family) is not. In the lovely language of heraldry, the Queen's arms today feature "gules three lions passant guardant" (in a walking position, looking at the observer). The Lion of Scotland is pictured as "rampant", or upright, as is the supporting lion.

Of the incorrect answers, lions sejant (standing) and dormant (sleeping) are infrequently seen. Lodged, courant, trippant and springing are employed to describe horses and stags.
(Learn more at www.rarebooks.nd.edu/digital/heraldry/charges/lions.html)

4. In 1998, the Queen's Beasts were the subject of a series of postage stamps issued by the British Royal Mail. One of the stamps featured a silver falcon, symbol of this dynasty whose descendants founded the houses of York and Lancaster, the two opposing sides in the Wars of the Roses. Which dynasty was it?

Answer: Plantagenet

The House of Plantagenet ruled England from 1154 to 1377, at which time Edward III died leaving far too many sons, most of whom wanted a go at being king. The houses of Lancaster (the Red Rose) and York (the White Rose) ruled England until the time of Henry VII (Tudor), who was a Lancastrian descendant and solved the whole debacle rather neatly by marrying Elizabeth of York and founding the Tudor dynasty, whose symbol combined both the red and white rose in the well-known, ornate "Tudor Rose".

5. The Black Bull was the symbol of the House of Clarence, whose members were allies of the royal House of York. In the language of heraldry, how is "Black Bull" to be expressed?

Answer: a bull sable

Sable is the correct heraldic term for black, and the name of the color comes after the animal's name. The Clarences used the black bull as one of the "supporters" of their coat of arms; that is, one of the two animals on either side. A description of such a supporter might read:
"On the dexter side a bull sable ducally gorged Or". This translates as "On the right side is a black bull with a gold duke's coronet around its neck".

6. One of the oddest of the Queen's Beasts is the Yale of Beaufort. Which of the following descriptions fits the Yale?

Answer: It's got to be a spotted antelope with tusks and movable horns.

The Beaufort yale is white with gold spots (bezants). In addition, it has the tail of a lion, an elephant, or a goat. Lady Margaret Beaufort was Henry VII's mother.

You may need a visual to picture the Yale: try http://www.kwantlen.ca/~donna/sca/yale/

7. Both Henry VII and his son Henry VIII used a dragon and this canine (the symbol of the House of Richmond) as supporters of their coats of arms. What is this regal dog, much favored by royalty?

Answer: Greyhound

From the time of Edward III (the first known use of heraldic royal supporters) until James I introduced the Lion and the Unicorn (which have been in use ever since), many different animals supported the royal arms, including ravens and swans. Henry VII was the son of Edmund Tudor, earl of Richmond, and the greyhound was a symbol of that family.
(See? No corgis.)

8. This creature has long been the symbol of Wales. In 1485, the Welsh Henry Tudor fought under its banner at Bosworth Field, defeating Richard III and becoming King Henry VII of England. It has a long history in the myths and legends of many countries worldwide.

Answer: Dragon

The Red Dragon of Wales has a long and colorful history, beginning with but not limited to King Arthur himself, who is said to have used it as a symbol. It still appears on the flag of Wales, as the Red Dragon of Cadwallader or Cadwaller - 'upon a mount vert, a dragon passant, wings expanded and endorsed gules - the Red Dragon Dreadful'.

For more (much more) on dragons, try the 1928 classic reference "Dragons and Dragon Lore" by Ernest Ingersoll.

9. The Unicorn of Scotland became part of the Royal Arms with the accession of James I of England (James VI of Scotland). The Unicorn had been part of the Scottish Royal Arms for about a century. Although Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, what is different about the arms the monarch uses while actually in Scotland?

Answer: All of these

The Royal Arms take on a distinctly Scottish bent with all of the above changes in force. England's arms show the three Lions of England quartered in the first and fourth quarters, with the upright Lion of Scotland in the second and the Harp of Ireland in the third; the motto is "Dieu et Mon Droit"; and the supporting Lion and Unicorn are on the left and right sides of the arms, respectively. Scotland quarters its "or a lion rampant gules within a double tressure flory counterflory gules" twice, in the first and fourth quarters. Scotland's motto is "Nemo me impune lacessit" (No one provokes me with impunity), which is also the motto of the Order of the Thistle, Scotland's highest order of chivalry. (Info from the wonderful site www.answers.com/topic/royal-coat-of-arms-of-the-united-kingdom)

10. Chronologically speaking, the Horse of Hanover is the newest of the Queen's Beasts. The first Hanoverian monarch was George I, who reigned from 1714-1727. Is the present monarch of Great Britain a direct descendant of George I?

Answer: Yes

Queen Victoria was the sixth Hanoverian monarch. She was George I's great-great-great-granddaughter. In 1840, Victoria's family name changed to "Saxe-Coburg-Gotha" on her marriage with Prince Albert. In 1917 the less Germanic "House of Windsor" was born. Queen Elizabeth II was Victoria's great-great granddaughter. Small wonder, then, that the Horse of Hanover was selected to be one of the ten "Queen's Beasts".

Source: Author LilahDeDah

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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The Queen's Beasts Trivia Quiz

Welcome to the royal bestiary of England. This quiz presents questions on ten of the kingdom's heraldic beasts. Alas, HM's corgis will not be making an appearance.

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