King John Trivia Quiz

Answer: Eleanor of Aquitaine

Berengaria of Navarre was John's sister-in-law and Constance of Britanny was another sister-in-law. Matilda was the name of John's paternal grandmother. Eleanor was the wife of two kings and the mother of three if we count Henry the young king crowned in his father's lifetime.

Answer: Christmas Eve

It is somewhat ironic that the King who was constantly at odds with the Church during his reign should be born so close to one of its holy festivals. He was the last child of Henry II and Eleanor and, for most of his father's life, was the favourite son.

Answer: Three

John's eldest brother was Henry who became the Young King who died in 1183. His second brother was Richard I who died in 1199. His third brother was Geoffrey who died in 1185. John himself died in 1216. The only child of his brothers' marriages to outlive him was his niece Eleanor (Geoffrey's daughter)who died in 1241.

Answer: Lackland

Of the four brothers John was scheduled to inherit no particular land or title. Young Henry would get England, Richard would get Aquitaine, Geoffrey would get Brittany and John would only receive money.This made it inevitable that he would join in with rebellions against his brothers or his father in the hope of gaining some advancement.

Answer: Ireland

This appointment of Henry's youngest and favourite son to Ireland led to a total fiasco within six months. He was completely out of his depth and the frivolous young men who went with him upset all the other barons who had been keeping the Irish in check.

Answer: His name was found on a list of the rebels who had fought with the French against Henry.

All of Henry II's sons had at various times rebelled against him. Young Henry, Richard and Geoffrey were no more innocent than John. However, John was his father's favourite upon whom he placed an absolute trust. The French King often used the rivalry amongst Henry's sons as a weapon in their continuous wars.

Answer: William Longchamp

Richard had given John vast estates of his own to rule on both sides of the Channel. These included the Norman county of Mortain, the honour of Lancaster and the revenues of six English counties. In spite of this John set out to undermine Longchamp's authority. Walter of Coutances was sent home by Richard to sort things out.

Answer: Philip of France

Philip of France had long been an enemy of Henry II and his sons. He had also been a comrade to Richard on part of the crusade.John and Philip tried to get the German emperor to sell the imprisoned Richard to them for about £100,000.

Answer: He forgave him immediately and said he had been a mere child misled by others.

Richard treated his brother as a mere child but by the year 1194 John was already twenty-seven years old. For the remaining five years of Richard's life John appears to have behaved himself enough for Richard to nominate him as his heir.

Answer: Her marriage to John was annulled and he married someone else.

The Gloucester inheritance had been one of the things that Richard had arranged for his brother when he set off on crusade. When he became King John disposed of his wife and married Isabella of Angouleme who had already been promised in marriage to someone else. It also started a new French war. The original Isabella remarried twice more.

Answer: soft-sword

Once again Philip of France had taken his opportunity to attack the English monarchy. In April 1202 he proclaimed all John's continental lands to be forfeit. In December 1203 John crossed to England leaving the men in charge of his castles to make their own terms with the enemy.

Answer: Arthur

Arthur was the son of John's brother Geoffrey. Because Geoffrey had been an older brother than John it appeared that his claim to the throne was stronger. However, details of his actual murder when he fell into John's hands remain speculative. John's bad reputation at the time was enough to turn people against him.

Answer: Innocent III

In the previous year 1208 an interdict had been laid upon both England and Wales. John thus had the opportunity to confiscate church property. He only agreed to make peace with the papacy in 1213 because he recognised the possibility of rebellion at home.

Answer: London

It soon became clear that John regarded the Magna Carta as no more than a means of buying time. Attempts to implement the treaty led to further outbreaks of rebellion.

Answer: Louis - the French King's son

John's reign ended with the country split down the middle and a French invasion with Louis as the figurehead well under way. In the event John was succeeded by his son Henry III whose early life was superintended by the loyal William the Marshal.