The Curious Monarchs of England Quiz

Answer: the ill-advised

The name Æthelred means 'noble council.' Thus the name is a pun. Æthelred had two reigns: 978-1013 and 1014-1016. He spent much of his reigns paying the Vikings not to invade England.

Answer: Edward of Woodstock

All four were sons of Edward III. Edward of Woodstock, later known as the Black Prince, died one year before his father, thus his son inherited the throne.
John of Gaunt was the father of Henry Bolingbroke, who would later become Henry IV of England. He also served as regent for the young king Richard.

Answer: Eustace

Eustace was the eldest son of King Stephen, and heir apparent to the English throne before his death. He died in 1153 and thus Henry of Anjou became heir, and then King.
William Ætheling, or Adelin, was the son of Henry I. His tragic death in the White Ship disaster in 1120 caused Stephen to become King upon Henry I's death, leading to the Anarchy.
Arthur was the eldest son of Henry VII. He fell ill in 1502, and his death led to his brother becoming King Henry VIII.
Henry Frederick was the elder son of James I. He was a popular choice for king, but died prematurely, meaning that his younger brother succeeded to the throne as Charles I.

Answer: Henry VI

Henry VI died in 1471. Edward IV, of the House of York, succeeded him, thus ending the Lancastrian rule over England.
For Edward II, the story goes that he was killed with a red hot poker. Whether or not that is true, it is generally agreed upon that he was murdered.
Richard II starved to death while imprisoned in Pontefract Castle. Although his body was displayed to the public after his death, years later it was claimed that he was still alive and living in Scotland.
Edward V was one of the Princes in the Tower, along with his brother, Richard, Duke of York. Much mystery surrounds their disappearances.

Answer: the Confessor

Edward the Confessor is thought of as being a pious king. He was succeeded by Harold Godwinson, who was killed in the Battle of Hastings.
Edward the Elder ruled from 899 to 924, and Edward the Martyr was king 975 until 978, when he was assassinated.

Answer: Beauclerc, the Lion of Justice

Beauclerc, meaning fine scholar, and the Lion of Justice belonged to Henry I.
Henry II was named Curtmatle on account of his cloaks being shorter than those of his predecessors, and Fitzempress, meaning 'son of an empress.'
Lackland was the name given to John, as by the time his father, Henry II had divided up the land, there was little left for him. His policies earned him the unfortunate name of Soft-sword.
Edward I is well-known as the Hammer of Scots, due to his brutal invasions of Scotland. Longshanks was a reference to his height, or possibly the length of his arms.

Answer: Charles I

Poor Charles I was beheaded in 1649, which led to the Commonwealth rule over England after the English Civil War. Charles ruled without Parliament for eleven years (1629-40), sometimes known as the 'Eleven Years Tyranny,' or the 'Creative Reform.'
James I named himself 'King of Great Britain and Ireland.' Though he was a king liked by most, it is believed that he may have suffered from porphyria, the same blood disease that would later plague George III.
Charles II, the Merry Monarch, took over from Richard Cromwell. A lively king, he was thought to have restored normality after the rule of Oliver Cromwell.
William III, who ruled jointly with his wife, Mary II (till her death in 1694), was Dutch. It is rumored that he was a homosexual, though this may just have been gossip put about by those who disliked him.

Answer: Edward IV

When his coffin was opened, it was discovered that Edward IV was even taller than Edward I. Richard I is also said to have been tall for his time, whereas his brother, John, was relatively short.

Answer: Anne

Anne reigned from 1702 until 1714. She was the last monarch from the House of Stuart.
Elizabeth I's reign saw the defeat of the Spanish Armada, and the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Victoria reigned for almost 64 years and was known as the 'Grandmother of Europe' as her many children married other nobles across the continent, tying them together.
Mary II, wife of William III (and co-regent with him) and sister of Anne, was Queen following the Glorious Revolution, and saw the Bill of Rights passed.

Answer: Henry IV

A prophecy had foretold that Henry IV would die in Jerusalem. He intended to travel there once he was well enough, but this was not to happen. The exact sickness from which he died is unknown, though possibly psoriasis or syphilis.
Thomas Becket's murder well-known. It was committed by four of Henry II's knights at Canterbury Cathedral in 1170, after the King had become angered by him. The murder was not planned by Henry II.
Henry II himself became very ill at the end of his lifetime. After learning that his youngest son, John, was rebelling against him, he died on 6th July 1189.
George V's death was hastened by his doctor, who administered a lethal injection of cocaine and morphine to him. He did the 20th January, 1936.