People Who Should Have Been King/Queen Quiz

Answer: Matilda

Henry's only legitimate son died on The White Ship leaving his only other legitimate child, Matilda, as his heir. He persuaded the barons to accept her but upon his death most of them reneged on their promise. She eventually accepted Stephen as king but on the written guarantee that her son would be the king's heir superseding King Stephen's legitimate children.

Answer: John Dudley Duke of Northumberland

Henry VIII has revised the succession as follows: 1st The Prince of Wales, 2nd Lady Mary, 3rd Lady Elizabeth, 4th Descendants of Princess Mary Duchess of Suffolk succeeding those of his eldest sister Princess Margaret Queen of Scotland.
In an attempt to prevent the Lady Mary from inheriting the throne and reviving Roman Catholicism in England John Dudley Duke of Northumberland and Lord Protector had the king alter the succession. As the king was not of age and deathly ill this device to alter the succession could be termed "coerced". Northumberland married his son Guilford Dudley to Lady Jane Grey granddaughter to Mary Duchess of Suffolk.
When Edward VI died Queen Jane and reigned for all of nine days. Soon people rallied to Queen Mary I's banner thus ending this brief reign.

Answer: Henry

King James VI/I and Queen Anne had seven children, yet only two survived to adulthood, marry and have children. Charles was the second born son as his elder brother Henry was supposed to be king but he died of typhoid fever when he was 18.

Answer: Charlotte

With the death of Princess Charlotte, George IV's only legitimate child, the remaining brothers of George IV quickly married. William IV had legitimate and illegitimate children but his legitimate children had died. Prince Edward Duke of Kent produced only one child: Victoria. Prince Frederick had married but had no children. Once George IV, William IV, Frederick and her father Edward died Victoria became the only legitimate heir.

Answer: Albert Victor

Albert Victor was 27 when he died of pneumonia, leaving behind a fiancee, Princess Mary of Teck, who later married Prince George (George V).

Answer: His father

Though King Edward III did indeed die and Richard II became King of England Richard's father had died first.
Richard's father Edward the Black Prince died of dysentery thus allowing Richard to become King of England at the age of 10 following the death of his grandfather, Edward III.

Answer: Birth of James Prince of Wales

It was a known fact that James was a Catholic and his wife Queen Mary of Modena had given birth to a son, despite rumors had it that the child was smuggled into the bedchamber and it wasn't the King's child. Few one wanted a Catholic for an heir, so William of Orange (William III) was "invited" to invade England and depose James II his father in law. A special law was passed allowing William and Mary to reign jointly.

Answer: Sophia of Hanover

To prevent a Roman Catholic from becoming monarch a the Act of Sttlement (1701) was passed, preventing Roman Catholics from ever succeeding. Sophia Electress of Hanover was chosen as she was nearest Protestant heir and granddaughter of King James VI/I.

Answer: James VI of Scotland

Henry's previous succession law had:
1st Edward Prince of Wales (Edward VI)
2nd Lady Mary Tudor (Mary I)
3rd Lady Elizabeth Tudor (Elizabeth I)
v- Descendants of Mary Duchess of Suffolk -v
4th Lady Frances Brandon, daughters Lady Jane Grey, Lady Katherine Grey and Lady Mary Grey.
8th Lady Eleanor Brandon sister of Lady Frances, second daughter of Mary Duchess of Suffolk then Lady Margaret Clifford.

But Frances Grey Duchess of Suffolk (Mary's eldest surviving child) renounced her claim for Jane. Jane was later executed on orders of Mary I due to the Wyatt Rebellion. Catherine Grey married Edward Seymour without the permission of Elizabeth who later declared the marriage null and void. They had two sons who were not allowed to inherit the throne. The youngest Grey daughter, Mary, was so short she was thought to be a dwarf but somehow found someone who loved her but still Elizabeth I prevented this. The only heir was James VI of Scotland son of Mary Queen of Scots granddaughter of Princess Margaret Queen of Scotland.

Answer: Fourth great-grandchild

Henry VII was the great-great-great-great-grandson of Edward via his fourth son John of Gaunt Duke of Lancaster. Henry was a descendant of John of Gaunt's third marriage to Katherine Swynford.