Animals and Pets of British Royals Multiple Choice Quiz | People

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Traditionally, where were the royal menageries kept, from the Middle Ages into the nineteenth century?

Answer: The Tower of London

It is uncertain how early the Tower menagerie was started, but it is recorded that Henry III (1207-1272) received a gift of three leopards from the Holy Roman Emperor Frederick II. They were later joined by numerous other animals.
In the 1800s many of the animals were moved to Regent's Park, new home to the world's first of its kind--the London Zoological Gardens (London Zoo). The Tower Menagerie was closed in 1835.
Note: According to some accounts, the Tower Menagerie was started by Henry III's father, King John.

2. In the early days of the Tower Menagerie, a polar bear joined the merry brigade there, a gift from the King of Norway. The bear was provided with the means to do something that one wouldn't ordinarily expect a large ursine beast to be doing in London. What was the bear known for doing?

Answer: Catching fish in the Thames

The bear was given a long enough lead to be able to reach the water and enjoy hunting for the fish portion of his supper. Other provisions for the polar bear are said to have been handled by the Sheriffs of London. All in a day's work...
Polar bears actually prefer to eat seals.

3. In one of the famed portraits of Queen Catherine of Aragon, specifically the painting by Lucas Horenbout,the Queen is holding an animal in the crook of her arm. What is the species of Catherine's pet?

Answer: A monkey

Although the British Empire as such did not exist yet, the Age of Discovery had brought awareness of exotic places such as Africa to the English consciousness. Catherine's choice of pet is an interesting one. She is depicted wearing dark velvet and a gabled hood, cradling the little monkey in one arm.

Other beloved pets of the wives of Henry VIII include Anne Boleyn's little dog, Purkoy, and the lap dogs that Henry sent to Anne of Cleves.

4. One of the most touching tales about the death of a monarch is one which is told about an executed Queen who was mourned by her dog. The story goes that at the scaffold, the dog ran from under the dead Queen's skirts to be by her side immediately after the execution. Who is that Queen?

Answer: Mary, Queen of Scots

Mary Stuart, Queen of Scotland, had long been held prisoner in England by Elizabeth I, Mary's cousin, to whom Mary had run for sanctuary after being accused of complicity in murder. Mary was executed at Fotheringay Castle on February 8, 1587 for political reasons.

The story of Mary's little dog--that the dog accompanied her to the scaffold, hid under her voluminous sixteenth-century skirts, ran out from under them after the execution and refused to leave her corpse--may be apocryphal, as it is not mentioned by all eyewitnesses.

5. A lion named Edward VI impressed visitors with his size and magnificence during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Why was the lion named for the Queen's deceased brother?

Answer: The lion was born during Edward's reign

Sometimes the real answer to a question is the simplest one! Edward VI, son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, half-brother to queens Mary I and Elizabeth I, reigned from 1547 into 1552. A great reformation of what is now the Anglican Church took place during his reign. Since he was only nine years old when he inherited the throne, Edward presided over the nation along with a Protectorate which included his two maternal uncles.

There is a story that the leonine Edward VI outlived the King by many years, although there has been speculation that the lion may have been secretly replaced at least one time.

6. No menagerie of exotic animals would be complete without an elephant! From what country did the Tower of London's first elephant arrive in England?

Answer: France

The first elephant to come to the Tower was a gift from the King of France (Louis IX) in 1255. It seems the elephant liked a touch of the grape---it has been said that the creature drank up to a gallon of wine per day, and according to some chroniclers, beer as well.

In retrospect, it seems that those weren't healthy habits for the elephant, as the animal did not live into ripe old age. However, visitors can still visit an elephant at the Tower, if they don't mind that the present elephant in residence is a sculpture.

7. A merry monarch known for his passion for parties and the company of ladies was also fond of dogs. A Cavalier spaniel bears the name of this king and he is often depicted holding one. Who was this English ruler?

Answer: King Charles II

The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel is known for its sweet and loving temperament and for its silky coat. The term Cavalier is associated both with supporters of Kings Charles I and II, and with the fashionable dress of the seventeenth-century nobility.

8. Queen Victoria is known for her love of dogs. But she had a few other interesting creatures amongst her animals. The Shah of Persia sent her a pair of grazing creatures which led to a herd being kept at the Castle of Windsor. What were these outdoorsy pets?

Answer: Goats

It could inspire a Sound of Music parody--High on a hill was a Persian goatherd--lay yodel lay yodel lay hee-hoo! (Actually the animals were Tibetan goats.) Queen Victoria is usually depicted with one of her beloved canines; her Cavalier King Charles spaniel Dash was her constant companion before and during her early reign and her Pomerianian called Turi lay with her on her deathbed at her request.

9. The most famous Tower creatures are, of course, the ravens. Their presence in London is older than the Tower itself. They are housed near the Lanthorn and Wakefield Towers and roam about the Tower, fed and cared for from the royal purse. What legend inspired the tradition of looking after the Tower's ravens?

Answer: If the ravens leave the Tower, the kingdom will fall

The fascination with ravens predates Edgar Allan Poe by many centuries! Ravens appear in most major mythological cycles, and have Biblical as well as Islamic references also. Celtic mythology features ravens in a number of tales, so their presence in British culture is longstanding to say the least. On the daily menu for the Tower ravens is a delectable dish (well, to them anyway) of biscuits with blood.
Note about ravens: The Common Raven, which is the largest songbird, is the size of a hawk.

10. What is the breed of the adorable dogs of Queen Elizabeth II?

Answer: Corgi

The Queen loved corgis from her childhood onward. Her Majesty's royal corgis all descended from Susan, who was an eighteenth birthday gift to the then-Princess Elizabeth from her mother. A corgi can be seen with the Queen on a crown coin issued during the Queen's Golden Jubilee year. Corgis are Welsh in origin and the name "corgi" means "dwarf dog" in Welsh.

Source: Author marymagdalena

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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Animals and Pets of British Royals Quiz

The great volumes of English history speak of kings and queens, princes and princesses and the powerful nobles who surrounded them. But what do you know of the menagerie animals and beloved pets of English royalty?

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