British Monarchs Trivia Quiz

Answer: 1553

She ruled from 10th July to the 19th July, 1553, hence her nickname, "The Nine Days Queen." Some historians argue that she ruled from the 6th July, the date of her predecessor, Edward VI's, death. However her reign was not officially proclaimed until the 10th.

Answer: 1216

He was born in 1166 and he reigned from 1199 to 1216. He was forced to issue the Magna Carta, or Great Charter, due to disagreements with Pope Innocent III and Englsih Barons about the rights of the King. It basically outlined what the King was entitled to do or not do and agreed that no one, not even the King, could be above the law.

Answer: 38 years

He is known for his six wives and he is proabably the most well recognised monarch of the House of Tudor. He was king from 1509 to 1547 and all his three children were future monarchs of England; Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.

Answer: Charles II

Charles II ruled from 1660 to 1685. He was the son of Charles I, the last absolute monarch of England, and he who was executed during the Civil War in 1649. In 1660, after the death of Oliver and Richard Cromwell, Charles II was invited back to the throne. However, he no longer had absolute power. He was the first constitutional monarch of England, a description still used for Elizabeth II.

The Great Plague occured in London in 1665. It is thought to have wiped out nearly two thirds of London's population at that time. On 2nd September 1666, the Great Fire started in a bakery in Pudding Lane. The fire consumed most of London and also wiped out the plague, carried by vermin haraboured in cramped and unhygienic conditions. After this, London was completely redesigned by architect Sir Christopher Wren. However, his grandiose town planning scheme was not adopted and when rebuilt the street-plan was largely as before the fire.

Answer: William IV

On 20th June 1837, 18 year old Victoria became Queen. She ruled for the next 63 years, 7 months and 2 days, the second longest reign of any British monarch.

Answer: 1714

George I was the first member of the House of Hanover, ruling from 1714 to 1727. He was the successor of Queen Anne, the last member of the House of Stuart.

Answer: 1706 & 1707

The acts of Union were passed by the English Parliament in 1706 and by the Scottish Parliament in 1707. The two kingdoms were thereafter named just the Kingdom of Great Britain.

Answer: James VI

Although the acts of Union were not signed until 1706 & 1707, he was in 1603 at the death of Elizabeth I, the heir to the English throne. He was already the King of Scotland but also ruled as the King of England.

Answer: George V

In 1917, during World War I, George issued an order changing all his German names and title to a English ones, in response to intense anti-German feeling at the time.

Answer: 2

In total, William had nine children by his wife Matilda of Flanders. He had four sons and five daughters. Only three of his sons outlived him, and only two of these, William Rufus or William II and Henry I, actually ruled England.