FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!

English Monarchy History Trivia Quiz

This quiz contains questions on major events and people of the last thousand years who have had an effect on England's past.

A multiple-choice quiz by Jaffas85. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
Jaffas85

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
51,797

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
20

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
10 / 20

Plays
4225

Awards
Top 10% Quiz

Last 3 plays: Guest 82 (16/20), Guest 88 (9/20), Guest 197 (12/20).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 20

1. Henry VIII's claim to the throne of England was stronger on his mother's side because: Hint

Henry VIII's grandfather had designated his eldest daughter Elizabeth of York (Henry VIII's mother)

Henry VIII's mother was once Queen Regent and had been overthrown

Henry VIII's maternal grandfather was King Edward IV

Henry VIII's mother was a noblewoman and Henry VIII's father was just a steward

NEXT>

Question 2 of 20

2. When did William the Conqueror finally defeat the Saxons in England and become King? Hint

December 25

October 14

October 25

December 14

NEXT>

Question 3 of 20

3. Who was the only son of King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou? Hint

Charles the Young

Edward of York

Edward of Lancaster

Henry of Lancaster

NEXT>

Question 4 of 20

4. Which English King initiated the Hundred Years' War with France? Hint

Edward I

Henry VIII

Henry II

Edward III

NEXT>

Question 5 of 20

5. Against Henry V's wishes Katherine of Valois gave birth to their only son in which English castle? Hint

Windsor

Kensington

Hampton Court

Tower of London

NEXT>

Question 6 of 20

6. Who manipulated Lady Jane Grey's elevation to the throne of England in 1553? Hint

Robert Dudley

John Dudley

Arthur Dudley

Henry Grey

NEXT>

Question 7 of 20

7. How many illegitimate children was Henry I reputed to have? Hint

over 20

over 50

over 15

None, he was too pious to have mistresses

NEXT>

Question 8 of 20

8. What was Richard III's excuse for making himself King of England? Hint

England needed a strong and effective man of age to rule and guide the country not a young boy

Edward IV and Elizabeth Wydville were related within forbidden degrees

He declared Edward IV and Elizabeth Wydville's marriage null and void because of a 'supposed' precontract with Eleanor Talbot

Edward V and Richard, Duke of York, weren't really the children of Edward IV

NEXT>

Question 9 of 20

9. Who was the favourite son of Queen Victoria? Hint

Arthur, Duke of Connaught

Alfred, Duke of Saxe -Coburg-Gotha

Edward, Prince of Wales

Leopold

NEXT>

Question 10 of 20

10. During the reign of King George V why was the family name changed to Windsor? Hint

George V loved the castle of Windsor so much that he changed his family name

He decided that a more English and regal sounding name would be better

To remove as many German names and titles from British Royalty during World War I

It was the deathbed wish of his father Edward VII

NEXT>

Question 11 of 20

11. Who was the young daughter of George III's to die in 1810 after falling from a horse? Hint

Princess Elizabeth

Princess Sophia

Princess Caroline

Princess Amelia

NEXT>

Question 12 of 20

12. Who was the last surviving child of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine? Hint

King John

Princess Matilda

Eleanor of Castille

Joanna of Toulouse

NEXT>

Question 13 of 20

13. Why did Henry VIII think (or at least claim to think) that God was angered by his marriage to Katherine of Aragon? Hint

They were too closely related

He believed he was being prevented from having a son because Katherine of Aragon had been married to his brother

She was of low birth

There were great famines and disasters in England while the marriage persisted

NEXT>

Question 14 of 20

14. From the 1530s onwards what was Henry VIII's religion? Hint

Pope abiding Catholic

Church of England

Protestant

Puritan

NEXT>

Question 15 of 20

15. Who died on the White Ship in 1120 and caused Henry I never to smile again? Hint

Robert Fitzroy

Arthur Tudor

William Atheling

Henry Stuart

NEXT>

Question 16 of 20

16. Eleanor of Aquitaine's two daughters from her first marriage to Louis VII were: Hint

Elisabeth and Margaret

Marie and Anne

Alice and Mary

Marie and Alix

NEXT>

Question 17 of 20

17. The second husband of Katherine of Valois and the grandfather of Henry VII. Hint

King Henry V

Richard, Duke of York

Edward IV

Owen Tudor

NEXT>

Question 18 of 20

18. King George VI was never destined to be the King his elder brother was, Edward VIII. Why did Edward VIII abdicate after a few months? Hint

Edward VIII enjoyed a much more care-free life doing whatever he pleased with whoever he pleased.

He was in love with a divorc�e, Mrs. Simpson but was not allowed to marry her while he was king so he abdicated instead.

The government was greatly displeased at his actions while king and forced him to abdicate in favour

Edward VIII was not intellectual enough to understand how to run a constitutional monarchy and he up

NEXT>

Question 19 of 20

19. In what Scottish Castle was Mary, Queen of Scots imprisoned after her forced abdication? Hint

Edinburgh

Loch Leven

Holyrood

Berwick

NEXT>

Question 20 of 20

20. Why did Henry V never become King of France? Hint

He died shortly before the French king, Charles VI

He found the business of maintaining both France and England too arduous

France fought back and pushed Henry and his armies out of France

Joan of Arc came on the scene and scared Henry

(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

Select a User ID:

Choose a Password:

Your Email:

Most Recent Scores

Nov 19 2024 : Guest 82: 16/20
Oct 18 2024 : Guest 88: 9/20
Oct 14 2024 : Guest 197: 12/20
Sep 29 2024 : Guest 90: 19/20
Sep 26 2024 : Guest 192: 17/20

Score Distribution

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Henry VIII's claim to the throne of England was stronger on his mother's side because:

Answer: Henry VIII's maternal grandfather was King Edward IV

Henry VIII's father, Henry VII, was illegitimately descended from John of Gaunt, but Elizabeth of York was the eldest legitimate daughter of Edward IV and legally descended from Edward III.

2. When did William the Conqueror finally defeat the Saxons in England and become King?

Answer: October 14

William the Conquerer was crowned King in Westminster Abbey on 25th December, 1066, but he finally defeated his enemies on October 14. William was a wise and efficient king who brought order as well as a new dynasty to England.

3. Who was the only son of King Henry VI and Margaret of Anjou?

Answer: Edward of Lancaster

Edward of Lancaster was married to the daughter of the kingmaker, Warwick, and was killed in battle against the Yorkists at the age of 17.

4. Which English King initiated the Hundred Years' War with France?

Answer: Edward III

Edward III claimed the throne of France through his mother when her last surviving brother died. Edward was denied kingship in France because Salic Law barred people from claimed crowns through women, so the throne passed to Edward's cousin Phillip VI.

5. Against Henry V's wishes Katherine of Valois gave birth to their only son in which English castle?

Answer: Windsor

Katherine of Valois did give birth to the future Henry VI in Windsor Castle which his father Henry V feared would lead to a life of a weak and ineffectual king.

6. Who manipulated Lady Jane Grey's elevation to the throne of England in 1553?

Answer: John Dudley

The Lady Jane Grey only managed to rule England for nine days when her second cousin Mary Tudor took the throne under a tidal wave of popularity. Both the Lady Jane Grey and John Dudley were shortly executed afterwards.

7. How many illegitimate children was Henry I reputed to have?

Answer: over 20

One of Henry I's elder bastards, Robert, was a key figure in pressing his half sister Matilda's claim to the throne of England.

8. What was Richard III's excuse for making himself King of England?

Answer: He declared Edward IV and Elizabeth Wydville's marriage null and void because of a 'supposed' precontract with Eleanor Talbot

Shortly after his coronation the two princes disappeared and were not to be seen again. Many pretenders did try to impersonate them and usurp the throne.

9. Who was the favourite son of Queen Victoria?

Answer: Arthur, Duke of Connaught

Queen Victoria found many of her husband's great personality traits in Arthur and this only added to her love of him.

10. During the reign of King George V why was the family name changed to Windsor?

Answer: To remove as many German names and titles from British Royalty during World War I

It was actually one of George V's secretaries that came up with the idea.

11. Who was the young daughter of George III's to die in 1810 after falling from a horse?

Answer: Princess Amelia

The Princess Amelia's death caused much heartache for the king and sent him into a more deranged state.

12. Who was the last surviving child of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine?

Answer: King John

John inherited a disreputable reputation from many harsh critics over the centuries and had the nickname of 'Lackland' when he was young because it was so uncertain, if any, lands he could inherit of his father who had three older sons.

13. Why did Henry VIII think (or at least claim to think) that God was angered by his marriage to Katherine of Aragon?

Answer: He believed he was being prevented from having a son because Katherine of Aragon had been married to his brother

Henry had Thomas Cranmer to declare the marriage null and void in 1533 so that Henry could marry his love Anne Boleyn who was carrying the hoped for male heir to England. This baby turned out to be a great disappointment, it was a girl, the future Queen Elizabeth I of England.

14. From the 1530s onwards what was Henry VIII's religion?

Answer: Church of England

Though Henry outlawed the power of the Pope in England in the 1530s he remained opposed to most Protestant doctrines and practices. Henry was a keen follower of the Pope until his dispute with him over the validity of his first marriage to Katherine of Aragon.

15. Who died on the White Ship in 1120 and caused Henry I never to smile again?

Answer: William Atheling

If William had lived he might have prevented decades of bitter civil war in England between his only legitimate sister, Matilda, and his cousin Stephen.

16. Eleanor of Aquitaine's two daughters from her first marriage to Louis VII were:

Answer: Marie and Alix

After her divorce from Louis, Eleanor barely saw her two daughters at all. In later years Marie and Alix became close to Eleanor's children by her marriage to Henry II.

17. The second husband of Katherine of Valois and the grandfather of Henry VII.

Answer: Owen Tudor

Theirs was a genuine love match. It is still uncertain whether or not Katherine of Valois and Owen Tudor were ever legally married. Owen Tudor was a fierce supporter of the Lancastrian cause but was caught and executed in 1461.

18. King George VI was never destined to be the King his elder brother was, Edward VIII. Why did Edward VIII abdicate after a few months?

Answer: He was in love with a divorc�e, Mrs. Simpson but was not allowed to marry her while he was king so he abdicated instead.

The Royal family shunned the newly created Duke and Duchess of Windsor and it was only after George VI's death that they had a bigger role in the Windsor family.

19. In what Scottish Castle was Mary, Queen of Scots imprisoned after her forced abdication?

Answer: Loch Leven

Mary, Queen of Scots escaped from the castle only to be executed after she had fled to England for aid.

20. Why did Henry V never become King of France?

Answer: He died shortly before the French king, Charles VI

Henry V married Katherine of Valois to cement his claim to the throne of France. Sadly he died shortly before the French King and left both the Kingdoms of France and England to a baby - Henry VI.

Source: Author Jaffas85

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.