Obscure Tudors Trivia Quiz

Answer: Thomas Parry

Thomas Parry was Elizabeth's treasurer and household manager and knew as much about the Seymour affair as Kat did. They were both questioned closely in the Tower.

Answer: Mary Grey

Mary Grey was the youngest of the Grey sisters. She was a dwarf, and had a hunched back. Like her sisters, she ended up in the Tower - for secretly marrying. Her husband was Thomas Keyes, ironically one of the tallest men in London.

Answer: Amelia

Amelia was Anne's younger sister. Both sisters had their portraits painted by Hans Holbein, so Henry could see which one he liked better. He fell in love with Anne's portrait, and since she was the elder sister anyway, he summoned her to England. He found her portrait less than realistic. Anne's misleading portrait still survives, but Amelia's has disappeared.

Answer: Barnaby Fitzpatrick

Edward became king at only nine years old, and as it would have been treason to whip the king for doing wrong, a Royal Whipping Boy was hired to receive the punishment. Edward and Barnaby formed a close friendship.

Answer: Doņa Elvira

Katherine's years of widowhood were hard on all of her servants and ladies, and the Infanta was under a lot of pressure to keep herself out of poverty. Doņa Elvira Manuel was dismissed by Katherine when she was found to be a spy for those who wished for King Ferdinand (Katherine's father) to no longer rule Castile through his crazy daughter, Queen Juana, who had become Queen upon her mother's death.

Answer: Mary Sidney

Mary Sidney was a devoted and loyal friend to Elizabeth I. She was so close with her that she helped nurse Elizabeth through a bout of smallpox early in her reign, exposing herself to disease. Mary went down with smallpox soon after Elizabeth recovered, but while Elizabeth's had been a mild attack, Mary's case of smallpox was so severe that she was permanently disfigured.

Afterwards, she avoided court, and whenever she came back to visit her old friend, she would only do so wearing heavy veils to hide her face.

Answer: Will Somers

Will Somers was Henry VIII's jester for many years. It was a dangerous position to have, because his temper was so unpredictable and the ever-changing politics of the country meant that many topics were taboo, but he managed to survive, and to the end was a good friend of Henry's.

Answer: Margaret Pole

Margaret Pole, Countess of Salisbury, was executed solely for her Plantagenet blood. Fearful of being usurped by the Plantagenets because of the short length of time the Tudors had been in power, Henry VIII had most of the Poles imprisoned. Before this, she was the governess of Mary I, his own daughter. Margaret and Katherine of Aragon even discussed marriage plans between Margaret's son and Princess Mary.

Her execution was one of the worst the Tower has ever seen.

Answer: Mary Talbot

At the time this affair took place, Henry was actually betrothed to Mary already. Henry unwillingly left Anne under the threat of disinhertance, and married his betrothed. However, it was a very unhappy marriage, and Mary asked for a divorce not long before Anne Boleyn's execution. Henry died soon after.

Answer: Eustace Chapuys

Chapuys was the Spanish ambassador to England for about two decades, and despite all the problems that he caused by his meddling in Henry's "Great Matter" and championing Katherine of Aragon's cause, he and Henry VIII parted as old friends.