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How much do you know about William the Conqueror? | Quiz

A quick quiz on the life of one of the greatest medieval warlords. Enjoy!

A multiple-choice quiz by Aethelflaed. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
Aethelflaed

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
125,944

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
2081

Last 3 plays: Guest 86 (4/10), Guest 149 (6/10), Guest 176 (8/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. You'll probably know William was illegitimate, born to Duke Robert of Normandy and his long-standing lover ... but what was her name? Hint

Matilda or Maud

Herleva or Arlette

Agatha or Agnes

Marie or Mary

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. We know William made good his claim to England's throne - but what was his kinship to Edward the Confessor? Hint

Edward's mother was William's great-aunt

They were not related

Edward was William's father-in-law

William was descended from the Vikings that once attacked England

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. When did William launch his invasion of England? Hint

February 1066

September 1066

February 1067

September 1065

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. William married for love - but what was the name of his wife, who was one of his regents in Normandy while he was in England? Hint

Matilda of Flanders

Edith, sister of Harold Godwineson

Matilda of Scotland

Edith Swan's Neck

NEXT>

Question 5 of 10

5. Which son succeeded William on the throne? Hint

Robert

Henry

Richard

William (junior)

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. William was a successful king, ruling for twenty years, but in one respect at least, he was a notable failure. What couldn't he do by the time he died? Hint

collect taxes from his subjects

rule England and Normandy together

speak English fluently

control his unruly sons

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. What is William said to have done in order to raise taxes due to him? Hint

harried the north

extorted money from peasants

killed the English aristocracy

commissioned the Domesday survey

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. William died in 1087 from injuries sustained when his horse fell. He is buried at Caen - but what hitch was there when they tried to bury him? Hint

the coffin was too narrow

no one would perform the ceremony

he was not dead

it was thought he should be buried elsewhere

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. What was considered the most reviled action of William's reign in twelfth century literature? Hint

the Battle of Hastings

the Domesday Survey

the harrying of the north

the killing of the aristocracy

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. William was a religious man, and he did a suitable penance for the bloodshed of Hastings. What was this? Hint

he founded Battle Abbey on the site of the battle

he walked from London to Hastings barefoot

he adopted Harold Godwineson's sons

he became a monk

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. You'll probably know William was illegitimate, born to Duke Robert of Normandy and his long-standing lover ... but what was her name?

Answer: Herleva or Arlette

Herleva was a glove-maker in Falaise. The two are said to have met when Robert spied on her washing in the river - but it's disputed if she was washing her body or merely her clothes!

2. We know William made good his claim to England's throne - but what was his kinship to Edward the Confessor?

Answer: Edward's mother was William's great-aunt

Edward's mother, married both to Aethelred the Unready and Cnut, was sister to Duke Richard II of Normandy. The Normans are descended from Viking settlers, but that wasn't William's claim.

3. When did William launch his invasion of England?

Answer: September 1066

He waited until the prevailing winds were in the right direction to bring him across. An added sense of good fortune and good timing meant that, at the time of his arrival, King Harold was fighting Norwegian invaders in the north of England. If he hadn't done this, he might not have won.

4. William married for love - but what was the name of his wife, who was one of his regents in Normandy while he was in England?

Answer: Matilda of Flanders

Matilda was a childhood playmate, daughter to William's patron and much-loved friend Baldwin of Flanders. Matilda of Scotland married Henry I and Edith Swan's Neck was Harold Godwineson's Danish mistress.

5. Which son succeeded William on the throne?

Answer: William (junior)

Robert was William's eldest son but was only given Norman lands in revenge for his rebelliousness; Richard died young. William (Rufus) became king and was succeeded by his brother, Henry I.

6. William was a successful king, ruling for twenty years, but in one respect at least, he was a notable failure. What couldn't he do by the time he died?

Answer: speak English fluently

He tried all his life, but he never mastered Anglo-Saxon, which is in any case a highly complex language that the Norman immigration helped to simplify a lot. William spoke Norman French, and French remained the language of the court for centuries after.

7. What is William said to have done in order to raise taxes due to him?

Answer: commissioned the Domesday survey

The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle thought it was very shameful to demand exactly what was due to him in such a miserly way, but the Domesday Book now gives us a lot of information on Norman England.

8. William died in 1087 from injuries sustained when his horse fell. He is buried at Caen - but what hitch was there when they tried to bury him?

Answer: the coffin was too narrow

Two soldiers had to jump on his stomach to cram him in, and the body exploded. Not a very nice end!

9. What was considered the most reviled action of William's reign in twelfth century literature?

Answer: the harrying of the north

Later as well as contemporary writers were shocked by William's laying waste of Yorkshire and Cheshire after several rebellions there. It was written that nothing, not animal, human or plant, was left alive there afterwards. Twelfth century writers were often pro-William, but even they could not excuse him this.

10. William was a religious man, and he did a suitable penance for the bloodshed of Hastings. What was this?

Answer: he founded Battle Abbey on the site of the battle

He also sent his daughter Cecilia to be a nun at Holy Trinity abbey in Caen. Harold's sons lived as exiles in Ireland, and the other two options I just made up. Hope you enjoyed the quiz!

Source: Author Aethelflaed

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor Exit10 before going online.
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