We Rest at Windsor Trivia Quiz

Answer: Henry VIII

Henry VIII was originally destined for a career in the Roman Catholic Church as the 'spare' to the throne. After the death of his brother, Arthur, he became the heir apparent. His first wife, Katharine of Aragon, was the widow of his brother (later this was the reason he gave to have their marriage annulled.) Despite his six marriages, only three legitimate children survived him: Edward VI (who gained the throne at 10, but died six years later); Mary I and Elizabeth I.

Answer: Edward IV

Edward IV was supported to gain the throne by the Earl of Warwick ('The Kingmaker'). One of his decisive battles was preceded by a meteorological phenomenon known as a parhelion or sun dog, which causes 'mock suns' to appear. This led to him adopting the 'Sun in Splendour' as his personal emblem. Edward married his wife, Elizabeth Woodville, in secret to the displeasure of the Earl of Warwick. It was this marriage which later led to Edward's brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, to declare Edward's sons as illegitimate (Edward had been betrothed to someone else.) This allowed Richard to declare himself King after Edward died in 1483.

Edward's two eldest sons, Edward V, and Richard, Duke of York, were held in the Tower of London ostensibly to prepare for Edward's coronation and were last seen in 1483. They are popularly remembered as 'The Princes in the Tower' and speculation still exists about their fate.

Answer: Charles I

Charles I was the second son of James I of England. He was an unpopular King, due to his belief in the 'Divine Right of Kings', meaning that he was not subject to earthly laws. His continual need for money also made him unpopular, due to his continued tax raising without the consent of Parliament. His Roman Catholic leanings were also an area of concern for his subjects, less than 100 years after the introduction of Protestantism.

The first English Civil War (1642-1645) led to his capture and imprisonment. He refused to negotiate a treaty or to listen to the concerns of the Parliamentarians, leading to the second Civil War in 1648. The New Model Army under the command of Oliver Cromwell conducted 'Pride's Purge' of Parliament paving the way for the King's trial for High Treason. He was subsequently executed on January 30, 1649.

Answer: Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh

Prince Phillip was born in Greece but his family was exiled when he was a year old. He joined the Royal Navy in 1939, serving in many theatres of war including the Pacific, where he witnessed the signing of the Japanese surrender. He remained in the Navy until the death of George VI, when Princess Elizabeth became Queen.

He married the then Princess Elizabeth in 1947, and their marriage lasted 73 years, the longest of any British Royal. He also held the record for the longest serving consort. Prince Phillip was involved with many charities, establishing the Duke of Edinburgh scheme to promote leadership skills in teenagers. He also had a reputation for making inappropriate jokes or comments. He died shortly before his 100th birthday at Windsor Castle.

Answer: Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour became engaged to Henry VIII the day after his second wife, Anne Boleyn, was executed. They were married ten days later. Her motto was 'bound to obey and serve'. Unlike her predecessors, she was not involved in politics or statecraft. She experienced a miscarriage of her first pregnancy, but her second pregnancy gave Henry VIII his long-desired legitimate male heir. Sadly, she died less than two weeks later, possibly from an infection.

After her death Henry VIII often referred to her as his favourite wife, and he was buried next to her.

Answer: Queen Victoria

Queen Victoria gave her name to an eventful period in English and European history, with the industrial revolution taking place during her reign leading to changes in science, industry, education and transport.

Queen Victoria married her cousin Albert in 1840, and they had nine children. One of her sons was later rumoured to be Jack the Ripper.

After Albert's death in 1861, Victoria retreated from public life for a number of years. Many monuments were built and named for Albert including the Royal Albert Hall and the Albert Memorial in Hyde Park.

Through her children and grandchildren, Victoria had links to most royal houses of Europe - three of her grandchildren were linked through WWI - Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, Tsar Nicolas II of Russia and George V of England.

Answer: Duke of Windsor

Edward VIII was the shortest reigning King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, holding the title for 326 days. There are only seven other Monarchs of England who have held the throne for less time than he - the last being Edward V (one of the Princes in the Tower.) Edward abdicated the throne after the Prime Minister of the day, Stanley Baldwin, indicated that neither Parliament nor the English people would accept Mrs Wallis Simpson as his wife. The Church of England, of which Edward was head, did not support divorce. Edward chose to abdicate.

His brother, George VI, granted him the title of Duke of Windsor, his first act as King, and allowed him to keep the title of His Royal Highness, an honour not extended to the Duke's wife. During the 1930s the Duke and Duchess attracted controversy by visiting Germany and meeting with Hitler.

The Duke and Duchess never returned to England to live, and the Duke died in their Paris home in 1972, ten days after a brief visit from his niece, Elizabeth II.

Answer: Elizabeth Woodville

Elizabeth Woodville was the first commoner since the Norman conquest to marry a King. Her marriage to Edward was controversial, as she came from minor nobility, and she was from a Lancastrian background. Edward had defeated Henry VI, the previous Lancastrian monarch in 1461, three years prior. This was not an astute political decision and Edward's supporters including Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick made this known.

Elizabeth and Edward went on to have ten children, seven of whom outlived him, these included his heir, Edward V, and Richard Duke of York. Their uncle, Richard III, was named regent as Edward V was 12 years old. He subsequently had Edward IV's marriage to Elizabeth declared invalid, naming himself as King. Edward V and his brother were last seen in the Tower of London in 1483, and are remembered as 'The Princes in the Tower'.

Elizabeth and Edward's oldest daughter, also named Elizabeth, married King Henry VII after he defeated her uncle, Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field.

Answer: King George III

George III ascended to the throne at the age of 22 in 1760, at a time where France and England were vying for control of the continent of North America. The Seven Years War involved a number of nations and were a series of related conflicts spread across several continents. At the end of the Seven Years War, England had gained control of French possessions in the American colonies and established itself as a naval power.

The American colonies continued to feel aggrieved at the levies and taxes imposed on them by Great Britain, leading to the cry of 'no taxation without representation' and hostilities recommended in 1775. After several years of conflict an armistice was signed in 1781, and the Treaty of Paris in 1783, setting the boundaries of and acknowledging the United States as a free, sovereign and independent state.

George III's reign also saw the French Revolution and Napoleonic wars.

In 1788 he experienced signs of a mental illness, including signs of mania. Before a regency could be implemented, he recovered. He suffered a recurrence of this illness in 1810 which he attributed to the death of his favourite daughter. He agreed to the regency of his son, and withdrew from public life.

Answer: William IV

William IV was not originally expected to be King. His father, George III had 12 children but no legitimate grandchildren (William had ten illegitimate children to his long-term mistress, Dorothy Jordan.) William was the third-oldest son and pursued a career in the Navy, serving in New York during the American War of Independence. He also served with Vice Admiral Horatio Nelson, attended his wedding and giving the bride away.

At the time he ascended the throne he was the oldest heir to do so at age 64. He recognised that his niece Victoria would be his heir, and publicly stated that his wish was to live long enough for Victoria to reach her majority so she would be able to reign without a regent - she was one month past her eighteenth birthday when she became Queen.