British Royals Through the Ages Quiz
In the Glorious Revolution of 1688, the Roman Catholic King James II was deposed. A year later Parliament invited who to run the country?
- Parliament asked the future King William III, grandson of Charles I, and his wife (and cousin), Queen Mary II, daughter of James II, to ascend the throne and rule jointly. From then on, the British sovereign has always had to belong to the Church of England, and has had to answer to Parliament.
Who was beheaded when the British monarchy was overthrown in 1649?
- King Charles I, of the House of Stuart, was beheaded on January 30, 1649. The monarchy was restored in 1660.
Who abdicated to marry, as he said, "the woman I love?"
- King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in 1936 before his coronation, in order to marry the American divorcée, Wallis Warfield Simpson. They would subsequently be known as the Duke and Duchess of Windsor.
The Wars of the Roses were so-named because of the emblems of the protagonists. The red rose was the badge of the House of Lancaster, while the white rose represented which noble house?
- The white rose was the emblem of the House of York.
The Royal Family changed its name to Windsor during World War I because of anti-German sentiment in Britain. What was its original name?
- Saxe-Coburg & Gotha was the family name of Queen Victoria's husband, Prince Albert.
King George III is best remembered for losing what war?
- King George III was monarch when the American colonies won their independence through the American Revolutionary War.
Who was the longest reigning monarch in British history?
- Ascending the throne in 1952 at the age of 25, Queen Elizabeth II ruled for over 70 years, surpassing the previous longest-reigning monarch of 63 years, Queen Victoria.
Queen Elizabeth I ordered what famous rival for her crown to be beheaded?
- Queen Elizabeth reluctantly ordered the execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1587 after Mary's conviction of treason.
King William I is also known as...
- King William I is known as "William the Conqueror," for the Norman conquest of England in 1066.
In 1509, King Henry VIII married the first of his six wives. What was her name?
- Henry VIII's first wife was Katharine of Aragón.
