Hardest English Monarchy Since 1400 Trivia Quiz | Royalty & Monarchs

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. It is often said that England has been ruled most of the time since 1066 by Royal Houses of foreign origin. Such a Royal House with foreign roots was the Angevin Dynasty. Who was the last King that can be considered to have belonged to that dynasty?

Answer: Richard III

Richard II was deposed in 1399. Richard III died in the Battle of Bosworth Field. His successor Henry Tudor was of Welsh origin and did not belong to the House of Anjou.

2. With which King did the House of Windsor start ?

Answer: George V 1910-1936

During First World War the British Royals did not like to be reminded of their Saxe-Coburg-Gotha origins. So in 1917 they arranged for a change of name. George V overnight became a Windsor.

3. Which of these Houses was in fact Welsh in origin and was the reason that England and Wales became one country?

Answer: Tudor 1485-1603

Not too difficult a question, as we all know that the Stuarts were Scots and Hanover and Saxe-Coburg-Gotha don't sound too Welsh either. Henry VII's father was Edmund Tudor, Earl of Richmond.

4. Which of these 20th century Royals got on to the throne but never received his crown?

Answer: Edward VIII

Edward VIII, the Smiling Prince, preferred to have Mrs Wallis Warfield Simpson as his wife, rather than to take up the burdens and trappings of a King's role. He abdicated in the same year that he became king (1936), and stayed away from Westminster Abbey and its Coronation Chair. Edward VII (1901-1910) had had to wait a long time until his mother, Queen Victoria, died and he ascended to the throne. George V (1910-1936)had to guide England through the First World War, but wisely left much of the practicalities to his generals (Kitchener, Haig, French). George VI reluctantly took over the throne from his brother Edward and ruled from 1936 till 1952 He enjoyed the strong moral support of his wife, the late Queen Mum.

5. One of the reasons why George VI was embarassed about having to take over the throne was that he had a stammering problem.

Answer: True

George VI took his role as King very seriously and overcame the problem.

6. Which of these Kings got the nickname the Sailor King?

Answer: George V (1910-1936)

Edward VII was called Tum-Tum. He was a great lover of Parisiana. Edward VIII was nicknamed the Smiling Prince. Being Governor of the Bahamas was not a nickname, but his job during World War Two. Henry VIII was not called the King Sailor, but 'Father of the English Navy'.

Another nickname of his was Bluff King Hal. 'Silly Billy' aka William IV also earned himself the nickname Sailor King. Or 'the Royal Tar'.

7. Who was the first reigning British monarch ever to visit North America ?

Answer: George VI (1936-1952)

Queen Victoria travelled Spain, Italy, Germany and France but never North America. Her only official State visit was to France in 1855. Queen Victoria limited the remainder of her touristic 'overtures' to the Scottish Highlands.

8. Which of these English Kings died of a stroke when abroad, and was buried in the country where he had been born rather than in English soil?

Answer: George I of Hanover

The Duke of Windsor died in Paris on 28th of May 1972. William of Orange was born in the Hague, Holland , became King in 1689 and died in 1702 in the capital of his new country, London. (Kensington Palace). James II Stuart would not have been safe in his home country.

He died in the castle of St. Germain en Laye, near Paris. George I of Hanover died of a stroke during a trip to ... Hanover. That was also where he was buried.

9. The Queens that ruled England were not too successful in getting themselves an off-spring who could take over as their successors on the throne. All of these died childless, though one of them had been pregnant no fewer than 17 times. Who was she?

Answer: Queen Anne of the House of Stuart, 1702-1714

Apart from having had a few miscarriages, Queen Anne was unlucky in having no children who grew up as able-bodied princes or princesses. Jane Grey had few opportunities to get herself any children as she ruled only nine days. Good Queen Bess aka Gloriana or the Virgin Queen seems to have had good reasons to prefer to avoid marriage, political or otherwise. Queen Mary I never had much of a husband.

10. One of the Stuart Kings earned himself the nickname 'the British Solomon', although the French King Henri-Quatre called him mockingly 'the wisest fool in Christendom'. Who was that English King that in spite of all his 'learnedness' is also responsible for the so-called 'Plantation of Ulster' which came down to giving Irish land to Protestant Scottish settlers. Who is he?

Answer: James I

Maybe Charles I(1625-1649) saw it as his day of glory when he was executed in front of Whitehall. Anyway it earned him the nickname King and Martyr. Charles II (1660-1685) much preferred practical fun and pleasures, and fully deserved an altogether different nickname: the Merry Monarch. James II enjoyed life too, but his leanings to Catholicism robbed him of the opportunity to steer England through unruly waves. James I 'sponsored' or at least patronised Shakespeare's players' troupe.

He is the one who commissioned, the so-called King James Bible or Authorized Version.

He narrowly escaped the Gunpowder Plot(1605). He was harsh towards Sir Walter Raleigh whom he granted no mercy. After a long stay in the Tower, Raleigh was finally executed.

Source: Author flem-ish

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Snowman before going online.
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English Monarchy Since 1400 Trivia Quiz

*Whatever English republicans may say, it's hard to imagine the country without the paraphernalia of a Royal Family. This quiz may help to show how much they have coloured English history.

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