The King is Gone But Not Forgot Quiz

Answer: Henry VIII

Henry VIII, the second Tudor king, reigned as King of England from 21 April 1509 until his death in 1547. His six marriages have been emblazoned on the pages of history. His separation from the Roman Catholic Church came about because of his personal disputes with the pope and even though he was excommunicated from the church he still believed the doctrines of the Roman Catholic Church.

Henry VIII was responsible for starting the English Reformation.

Answer: William the Bastard

William I was the first Norman king of England. He was only referred to as William the Bastard by sources that were not pro-Norman. He served as Duke of Normandy before he became king. His ancestors were the Viking raiders. William's reign was quite stormy.

He was an illegitimate child and this caused problems for him after the death of his father. Nevertheless he was able to establish his authority. It is sometimes said that by establishing a strong centralized government for England William laid the framework for the country's future greatness, although not all sources agree with this viewpoint.

Answer: Alexander the Great

Alexander the Great (Alexander II) of Macedon was the son of Philip III. He was tutored by Aristotle. His reign began at the age of 20 after his father died. His military campaigns in Asia and northeast Africa were unprecedented. Alexander never lost a battle. Darius III of Persia was overthrown by Alexander. Alexander's kingdom included Greece, Egypt and Northwest India.

Answer: a boy

Richard I of England was known as Richard the Lionhearted. He received this name because of his military prowess and because he was a mighty warrior. From as early as 16 years of age Richard was in command of his own army.

Some sources believe that the crossbowman who who struck King Richard in the neck turned out to be a revengeful boy who claimed that his father and two brothers had been killed by the king. The king is believed to have forgiven the boy as a last act of mercy. Notwithstanding this, the boy was flayed alive and hanged immediately after the king died.

Answer: Henry III

Henry III was just nine years of age when he became king. He assumed power from his regent in 1227. He was given to personal rule rather than government through senior aristocrats and churchmen. He was not popular because he was extravagant and the people resented his tax demands.

The calling of representatives from some major cities and a few other boroughs rather than just the lords and representatives from (most) counties was new and did was not institutionalized as a permanent feature of parliament till 1297-8. One should add that this proto-democratic parliament was summoned in 1265 by a rebel leader, Simon de Montfort, Earl of Leicester.

Answer: The Sun King

Louis XIV was the King of France. He was the longest reigning monarch of Europe. He reigned from 1643-1715. He ended the long reign of cardinal ministers when he became his own chief minister.

Answer: George VI

George VI reigned from 1936-1952. He was very conscientious and did his best to adapt to the role he was suddenly expected to play. He was very influential in World War II and instituted the George Cross and George Medal in 1940. These were awarded to citizens who performed acts of bravery.

He developed a close working relationship with Winston Churchill who was Prime Minister from 1940-45.

Answer: To marry Wallis Simpson

King Edward VIII was the first king who was a qualified pilot. He created the king's flight which is now known as 32 (the Royal) Squadron. He had fallen in love with Wallis Simpson who was twice divorced. He was determined to marry her and so he abdicated the throne to do so.

After abdicating he married her in France. During World War II he escaped to Lisbon. He became the Governor of Bahamas and retained the position until 1945.

Answer: True

Alfred the Great reigned from 871-899. During this time Viking invaders from Denmark would often land on British soil. Alfred instituted proper naval and land defences. This action prevented the Vikings from gaining supremacy. He was an ardent believer in education and encouraged it among the freeborn young men. He translated several Latin works into English. Some Catholics regard Alfred as a saint but he was never canonized.

Cnut the Great was the only other English monarch to be accorded the epithet.

Answer: John

John, King of England, reigned from 1199-1216. He became his father's favourite child and was appointed Lord of Ireland. He also received lands on the Continent as well as in England. His elder brothers died early and he became a potential heir to the throne.

When Richard, another of his brothers died in 1199, John, originally the unlikely candidate ascended the throne. It is believed that John's reign was very much affected by his personal life since he lacked piety and was extremely lustful. His reign was considered troublesome by many historians.