Well Established Royal Epithets Quiz

Answer: Henry

Henry, the Duke of Saxony, was elected by the German dukes to act as king of Germany, beginning the Saxon line of kings. He reigned from 919 till 936, when his son, Otto, took over. How he got his title "the Fowler" is uncertain. Some sources say that he was setting bird snares when the news reached him that he had been elected king, but this story may be a legend.

His German name is "Heinrich der Vogler".

Answer: Phillip

Philip ruled from 1285 to 1314. He tried to reduce the Pope's power. The pope at that time was Pope Boniface VIII. Philip taxed clergy income and declared all clergymen subject to the law of the land. Boniface refused all orders and was arrested by Philip's men. Philip moved the papal court from Rome to Avignon, in France, thus beginning the "Babylonian Captivity of the Papacy." King Charles was also known as "The Fair".

Answer: Pepin

The son of Charles Martel, Pepin became the "Mayor of the Palace" when Charles died. Although he had complete power over the kingdom, he did not have the respect the king had. In 751, Pepin was crowned king of the Franks, starting the Carolingian line of kings. His son was Charlemagne, the greatest monarch of the Carolingian line.

Answer: Louis

Louis was crowned king of Aquitaine in 781. He was one of Charlemagne's three sons. Unlike his father, he was a very weak king and Aquitaine was in great turmoil under his rule.

Answer: Ethelred

He was king of England from 978-1016. His nickname, derived from Anglo-Saxon, means "unadvised" and *not* what one might think. :) Note that his name is often spellt "Æthelred or Æthelraed".

Answer: Charles

Charles, 823 to 877, was one of Louis's three sons who divided the kingdom after Louis's death in the Treaty of Verdun (843). As a result of the treaty, Charles became Charles II of France and ruled over the West Franks. When Louis II died in 875, Charles became the titular emperor, ruling Italy.

Answer: Louis

Louis the German, Louis the Pious's son, fought with his two brothers over the empire in the conflict which ended with the Treaty of Verdun (843). Louis the German played an important role after the division of the Charlemagne's empire.

Answer: Richard

He gained this nickname while fighting in the 3rd Crusade. He led the 4th Crusade and spent practically none of his reign in England!

Answer: William

Willaim was Prince of Orange and led the oppressed Dutch patriots against the Spaniards. His actual title is not king, but "stadholder". The Netherlands became a republic and were ruled by a hereditary governor, of whom William the Silent was the first.

There are two popular stories about how he earned his title "the Silent." The first one is that the Duke of Alva, Fernando Alvarez de Toledo, was sent to the Netherlands in 1567 by King Philip to try heretics. When the Duke reached the Netherlands, he erected the "Blood Council".

The Duke tried to enlist William's help, but William never replied. The Duke later invaded the Netherlands but was held off by William's army. The second story is that William never spoke about controversial matters in public or at court.

Answer: Edward

In 1042 Edward took over the throne in England and reigned until 1066, when he died. He got his title because of his deep religious convictions. He founded Westminster Abbey, and lived long enough to see it consecrated in 1065.