Scottish Royal Nicknames Trivia Quiz

Answer: Culen

The origin of this nickname is not known.

Answer: Dubh

Presumably this related to Dubh's swarthy complexion or dark hair. He appears to have been killed by his successor, Culen the Whelp.

Answer: Lulach

Lulach was MacBeth's step-son and successor. Whether or not he was quite as lacking in intelligence as his nickname suggests is unknown.

Answer: William I

William the Lion was the younger brother of Malcolm IV, known as Malcolm the Maiden. William was the first Scottish king to adopt the red lion rampant as his coat of arms.

Answer: MacBeth

Again, this nickname presumably relates to the king's complexion or hair colouring.

Answer: John

Meaning "Empty Coat" this was a reference to John's ineffectiveness as a ruler which culminated in him being publicly stripped of the trappings of kingship by Edward I of England and being sent into exile. The nickname only emerged after and not during John's reign.

Answer: Robert III

Bit of a trick question, this one. Prince John, Earl of Carrick was the eldest son of Robert II. However, when he ascended the throne he did so as Robert III. John was considered an unlucky name for a king and it avoided the tricky issue of whether or not to call himself John II: to do so would have been to acknowledge John Balliol as having had a legitimate claim to the throne and thus deny the legitimacy of the Bruce and therefore the Stewart claims to the throne. Meaning "John of Yesteryear", the nickname was a reference to John's real name, his ineffectiveness as a ruler, his age at his accession (c.53) and his lameness (he was kicked by a horse a year before he became king). John became increasingly reclusive and told his wife that on his death he should be buried beneath a dunghill with the epitaph "Here lies the worst of Kings and the most miserable of men".

Answer: James II

James had a large red birthmark on his face.

Answer: James IV

James wore the iron belt as a public display of remorse for his involvement in the rebellion that led to the murder of his father, James III.

Answer: James VI

Dubbed the Wisest Fool in Christendom by Henry IV of France, James was highly educated and an astute political theorist, more so than most kings of the day. As King of Scots he had diligently courted Queen Elizabeth of England to ensure he was recognised as her successor.

However, he alienated most of his subjects with his lectures on religion and the Divine Right of Kings. In addition, his thick Scots accent and a tongue too big for his mouth made him seem a curious character to English courtiers.