History of the Kings and Queens of England Quiz

Answer: Edward the Confessor

Around 1051 William, then only Duke of Normandy, visited England where his kinsman Edward the Confessor was King. The idea of him succeeding Edward occurred to William during the visit. But it was Harold Godwinson who succeeded Edward as King of England and after his death was his son Edgar who was never crowned. William then invaded, conquered and was crowned King of England.

Answer: Thomas Becket

After Henry returned from France he fell out with Thomas Becket over whether clergy who committed crimes should be tried in civil or church courts. Henry said, "Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?" Four of Henry's knights took him seriously and murdered Becket in his own cathedral.

Henry, stricken with remorse, did public penance at Becket's tomb which was soon to become a shrine and a place of pilgrimage.

Answer: 7

Isabella of France was seven years old when Richard II contracted a marriage with her. They were married in November 1396 when Richard himself was 29 so there was no prospect of having children for nine or ten years. After Richard's death she refused Henry IV's offer to marry his son and heir the future Henry V so he let her go back to France.

She later married cousin Charles Duke of Orleans when she was 16 and later died in childbirth at 19.

Answer: Troyes

He renewed the French war and the Great Battle of Agincourt which he had won. He followed it by a long campaign during which many towns and villages were laid to waste. Normandy had been re-conquered and at August 1419 they were at the gates of Paris. Negotiations of peace led to The Treaty of Troyes whereby Henry V was declared heir and regent of France, excluding the Dauphin of France, and he received a marriage with Catherine, sister of Isabella who was the widow of Richard II.

Answer: George

After Edward returned to the crown his brother George Duke of Clarence had sided against him with his father-in-law The Earl of Warwick. When he returned home George had switched sides again and was finally convicted of high treason and confined to The Tower of London. George was later supposedly drowned in a butt of malmsey wine.

Answer: Great-niece

Henry VII, father
->Princess Mary Duchess of Suffolk, daughter
-->Frances Grey Duchess of Suffolk, granddaughter
--->Lady Jane Grey, great-granddaughter
That makes Lady Jane Grey great-niece of Henry VIII via his youngest surviving sister. Since she was great-granddaughter of Henry VII and a Protestant, this was the basis of her gaining the crown.

Answer: Sophia

To prevent a Catholic monarch Parliament searched for the nearest Protestant heir. The next heir after Anne was chosen as Sophia of Hanover, granddaughter of James I, niece to Charles I.

Answer: Charlotte

George IV, then Prince of Wales, married Caroline of Brunswick and they had just one child, Charlotte. The story goes they had relations at least three times and during one of those times Caroline became pregnant with Charlotte. Charlotte married Leopold of Saxe-Coburg-Saafield but died in childbirth.

The second in line, Frederick Duke of Albany, had married in 1791 but was childless. William Duke of Clarence, Edward Duke of Kent, Adolphus Duke of Cambridge and Princess Elizabeth all married in 1818 but only Edward and Adolphus had children.

But Edward was the fourth son to Adolphus' seventh place and so Victoria became Queen.

Answer: Typhoid, appendicitis, bronchitis

In 1871 at Sandringham Edward, then the Prince of Wales, fell ill with typhoid and nearly died on December 14 but soon recovered. In June 1902 a day or two before his coronation Edward VII fell ill with appendicitis but insisted on being crowned no matter what, even if he died in the Abbey.

His doctor told he'd most certainly die if he did so. The operation was a success and he recovered quickly enough so that in August a curtailed coronation took place. In May 1910 the long years of self-indulgent lifestyle took their toll on the king, who suffered from chronic bronchitis.

Answer: Kenya

On the leg of their world tour in Kenya word spread of King George VI's death. It was left up to Philip to inform his wife of her father's death.