Keep Calm and Carry On! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Henry VI

Henry VI ruled England for approximately thirty-nine years altogether. During his reign he encouraged the growth of education by founding three colleges: Eton College, King's College, Cambridge and was co-founder (with Henry Chichele) of All Souls' College, Oxford.

His recurrent illnesses contributed to the fall of the House of Lancaster and rise of the House of York. Henry VI died while imprisoned in the Tower of London, reportedly of melancholy after the death of his son, Edward, at the Battle of Tewkesbury.

Many believe that he was, in fact, murdered upon the order of the new king, Edward IV.

Answer: David II

David II was five years old in 1329 when his father died; he and his wife, Joan of England, were crowned in 1331. His reign is marked by strife. In 1333 he was held for a time by the English; afterwards he was forced to go into exile in France for approximately seven years, and in 1346, was held by the English for eleven more years.

He appears to have attempted to make peace with England, and by the time of his death the Scottish monarchy was said to be stronger and more prosperous. David II was the last male of the House of Bruce.

Answer: Elizabeth I

Elizabeth I ruled England for over forty-four years. Her accomplishments are many: She ended the religious strife (for several decades) that had begun during the reign of Henry VIII and became the Supreme Governor of the Church of England; Supporting the activities of the "seadogs", such as Francis Drake, she wrested control of the seas from Spain, especially after the defeat of the Spanish Armada; and she fostered the growth of English culture, which is commonly called the Elizabethan Age. She did not produce an heir, and the House of Tudor ended with her death.

Answer: Llywelyn I

One of only two Welsh rulers to be called "the Great", Llywelyn benefited from the unpopular rule of King John of England. After John was forced to sign the Magna Carta, Llywelyn was able to consolidate his leadership of the other independent princes of Wales and was to dominate in Wales by 1216.

This was quite a feat, since there were few princes who came close to ruling all of Wales. His epithet is believed to have been given by Matthew Paris, an English monk; opinions are varied today regarding his "greatness".

Answer: William I

William, the grandson of King David I, spent a lot of time during his reign unsuccessfully attempting to regain Northumbria. His epithet, "the Lion", does not refer to strength and courage, but his heraldry . With a few modifications, the red lion rampant on a gold background, is still the Royal Standard of Scotland today. Boasting a long list of accomplishments including development of legal systems, the growth of trade, and the building of Arbroath Abbey, William was King of Scotland for over forty-eight years.

Answer: Edward III

Although many problems existed during the reign of Edward III (disastrous reign of predecessor, Edward II, Hundred Years' War, and the Black Death) the contributions made during Edward III's fifty plus years of rule are considered to be positive. Even though the English ultimately lost the Hundred Years' War, Edward's navy won a great victory at Sluys in 1340, and the army won at the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

The following year he took Calais, which would remain in English hands for the next two hundred years. Parliament continued to evolve and grow stronger during this time, and Edward was able to cultivate a favorable relationship with England's aristocracy, and strengthen England's national identify as English began to replace French as as the national language.

Answer: James VI

James VI ruled Scotland for over thirty-five years before becoming James I, King of England and Scotland during the Union of the Crowns. He was the great-great-grandson of Henry VII of England, and son of Mary, Queen of Scots. What a lineage! His reign as King of England, which lasted about twenty-two years, was riddled with intrigue and disagreements with Parliament.

In America he is probably best known for providing for the translation for what became the King James Bible.

Answer: George III

The cause of George III's illness has been debated for quite some time. Although some say he might have suffered from porphyria, a genetic disease, others point to the high concentration of arsenic found in pieces of his hair, which might have been caused by cosmetics or medicines. By 1811, it was necessary to pass the Regency Act, and for the next nine years, the Prince of Wales, who later became George IV, ruled in the name of the king. Nevertheless, George III is on record for having ruled England over fifty-nine years.

Answer: Elizabeth II

When Elizabeth II's grandfather, George V, died she became third in line to the throne of England. It was generally thought that she would not become queen; her uncle, Edward VIII, was young and many thought he would marry and have children of his own.

After Edward VIII abdicated, Elizabeth became "heir presumptive" based on the fact that her father, George VI, became king, and she was his oldest child; it was, however, recognized that if her parents would later have a son, he would be heir apparent and be placed before her in the line of succession. Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 2012. With the death of King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia on January 23, 2015, Elizabeth II became the oldest living monarch in the world. She died on September 8th, 2022, and was succeeded by her eldest son Prince Charles, Prince of Wales (King Charles III).

Answer: Victoria

George III's third eldest son ruled England as William IV, and had no legitimate heirs. According to the Regency Act of 1830, the heir presumptive was Princess Victoria of Kent, daughter of the fourth son of George III, Prince Edward, who was deceased.

After her coronation at age eighteen, Victoria had the title Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; the title Empress of India was added in 1876. Victoria ruled for almost sixty-four years, and gave her name to the Victorian Era, a long period of great change and expansion, in British history.