Quizzes
  • 1. What was Queen Victoria's Birth Name?

    Answer: Alexandrina Victoria

    Victoria was born in Kensington Palace on 24 May 1819 and was christened Alexandrina Victoria but, from birth, was known as Victoria.

    Before she became queen, she was formally addressed as Her Royal Highness Princess Victoria of Kent.

  • 2. Who designed the Iron Bridge in Shropshire?

    Answer: Thomas Farnolls Pritchard

    As industry around the gorge grew, so did the need for a strong and durable bridge to transport goods across the river. In 1773, Thomas Farnolls Pritchard - an architect from Shrewsbury - had a bold idea. Combining engineering expertise and new iron-casting techniques, he proposed the world's first iron bridge, which would link the parishes of Madley and Benthall over what was one of the busiest rivers in the country. Pritchard's designs were approved by Act of Parliament.

    Image: Portrait of Thomas Farnolls Pritchard by an unknown artist.

  • 3. WHO DID THE ENGLISH DEFEAT AT THE BATTLE OF FLODDEN IN 1513?

    Flodden Field

    Answer: Scotland

    In the largest ever clash of arms between the two countries, James IV's invading forces were decisively beaten by English troops at Branxton in Northumberland.

     The English infantry, armed with hook-bladed bills, killed 10,000 Scots, including James himself, who was the last British monarch to die in battle.

  • 4. Which city was the capital of the Anglo-Saxon Kingdom of Wessex?

    Answer: Winchester

    The Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of Wessex, East Anglia, Mercia and Northumbria were united under the English banner by Æthelstan in the 10th century, with the most southerly and powerful, Wessex, remaining the final Anglo-Saxon stronghold after the Viking invasion of 865 AD. Though Æthelstan's father, Alfred the Great, held court at various towns across Wessex, Winchester was described as the "premier city of the West Saxon kingdom".

  • 5. What is the name of the Englishman who translated the Bible into English?

    Answer: John Wycliffe

    The Yorkshireman was a prominent voice of dissent in the 14th century, attacking the privileges, power and pomp of the clergy and arguing that the Bible should be made available in the native English tongue. So committed was he to the latter, that he and his associates translated both testaments into Middle English between 1382 and 1384. His following and legacy would be important in the Reformation two centuries later.

  • 6. What's the better-known name given to the Great Rising of 1381?

    Answer: Peasants' Revolt

    Tensions were high in England following the Black Death and an increase in taxes to fund the Hundred Years' War, and when official John Bampton's attempt to collect unpaid taxes led to violence, it sparked revolt across the South East.

    A mob, led by Wat Tyler, set fire to buildings and killed royal officials in London, leading the 14-year-old Richard II to meet their demands, which included the unfair practice of serfdom. The young king met the rebels on 13 June, speaking to them in their own English tongue, however, violence broke out and Tyler was killed. Eventually the mob was dispersed and Richard II rescinded on his promises.

  • 7. Which country did Britain fight in the War of Jenkin's Ear?

    Answer: Spain

    The mainly-naval conflict was fought between the two European empires from 1739 to 1748 due to various attempts at expansion into each other's territories, but got its name due to an incident in 1731 off the coast of Florida.

    The British brig Rebecca was boarded by Spaniards, who cut off the ear of the captain Robert Jenkins after accusing him of being a smuggler. After recounting his tale seven years later, Parliament concluded that it was an insult, however, it did not lead to the war - in fact the conflict was not referred to as the War of Jenkins' Ear until 110 years after it had finished.

  • 8. Which two wives did Henry VIII divorce?

    Answer: Catherine of Aragon and Anne of Cleves

    The rhyme 'Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived' is an easy way to remember what became of Henry VIII's six wives. He divorced his first, Catherine, after she failed to produce a son and also so he could marry Anne Boleyn. He found his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, so unattractive that he had the marriage annulled after only six months.

  • 10. The charge of the light brigade took place during which 19th-century battle?

    Answer: Battle of Balaclava

    Although Britain and its ally France were victorious in the Crimean War, the  Charge of the Light Brigade has gone down as one of history's great military blunders. Miscommunication led to a small force of light cavalry to charge along a well-defended valley and into a Russian artillery battery. The 670-strong brigade suffered over 250 casualties.

  • 13. Who is the oldest surviving London Blue Plaque to?

    Answer: Napoleon III

    The plaque to Napoleon III, the last French emperor, was installed in 1867. The design includes the French imperial eagle.

    It is said that he left his London home in King Street in a great hurry to return to France when he heard of the overthrow of King Louis Philippe in 1848. His bed was left unmade and the bath was full of water.

  • 14. What did Britain begin to use on 14 September 1752?

    Pope Gregory XIIIAnswer: The Gregorian calendar

    This calendar was introduced by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582 in order to ensure Easter celebrations occurred at around the same time every year, when early Christians celebrated it.

    A development of Julius Caesar's Julian calendar, it was initially met with suspicion by many Protestant countries and was only adopted by Britain in 1752.

    In order to be in line with other countries that had already converted to the Gregorian calendar, 11 days were skipped, and Wednesday 2 September was followed by Thursday 14 September - effectively wiping 3-13 September 1752 from British history.

  • 17. Which castle was the childhood home of Richard III?

    Answer: Middleham Castle

    Building of the present Middleham Castle, in North Yorkshire, was started some time in the late 12th century. Richard entered the household at Middleham at the age of 13, in 1465, and remained there until 1468.

  • 18. How many years did it take for Sir Francis Drake to complete the first circumnavigation of the globe in 1580?

    Answer: Three years

    Though the second person to circumnavigate the world in one expedition, the legendary seafarer was the first to do as captain for the entire duration - the first from 1519 to 1522 saw Ferdinand Magellan killed and succeeded by Juan Sebastián Elcano.

    On the orders of Elizabeth I, Drake departed from Plymouth aboard the Pelican in 1577, reaching the southern tip of South America where the Drake Passage now bears his name. He then sailed up the west coast of the American continent, before heading back to England via Indonesia and the Cape of Good Hope, with some looted Spanish gold in tow and a new name for his ship, the Golden Hind.

  • 20. When did the last Romans leave Britain?

    Answer: AD410

    By the early 5th century, the Roman Empire was in turmoil. Roman citizens in Britain appealed to the emperor, Honorius, for help when the country was faced with invasion by Picts and Saxons. But Honorius needed the Roman legions in Britain to defend other parts of the Empire that were under attack from barbarian tribes. He drafted a letter to the people of Britain telling them they must 'look to their own defences', thus ending Rome's official ties with Britain.

  • 21. Which Celtic queen led a rebellion against the Romans in AD60?

    BoudiccaAnswer: Boudicca

    Boudicca became the leader of the Iceni tribe, who lived in modern-day Norfolk and were initially allied with the Romans during the invasion of AD43.

    However, when she inherited the crown after the death of her husband Prasutagus, the Romans seized Iceni property, raped Boudicca's daughters and publically flogged the queen.

    Incensed, Boudicca led a huge army of Celtic warriors, destroying Colchester, London and St Albans in AD60, killing tens of thousands.

    The greatly outnumbered Roman army set off from north Wales to confront Boudicca's forces, decisively defeating them in the Battle of Watling Street.

  • 28. Netley Abbey was the inspiration for which novel, published in 1817?

    Answer: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

    After the Suppression of the Monasteries, Sir William Paulet transformed the abbey into a mansion house, which was occupied until 1704. After the house was abandoned, it became overgrown with trees and ivy. Many authors and artists visited the romantic ruin, including Austen, the writer Thomas Gray and the painter John Constable.

  • 29. What was Albert’s title before marrying Victoria?

    Answer: Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha.

    Albert was the second son of Ernest I, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, and his wife Louise of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. The Saxon Duchy of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld was closely connected with many European monarchies.

  • 31. What animal played a decisive role in the Battle of Hastings?

    Answer: The horse

    The English army fought on foot at the Battle of Hastings, and ultimately could not withstand the charges of the mounted Norman knights. Although the horses ridden by the Normans were small by modern standards (no bigger than ponies), the knights had substantial wooden saddles and well-designed stirrups, giving their lances impressive striking force.

     

  • 32. Which king of England died on 5 January 1066, leaving no direct heirs?

    Answer: Edward the Confessor

    King Edward the Confessor died on 5 January with no direct heirs. Earl Harold of Wessex, the Confessor’s brother-in-law and a powerful noble, was proclaimed king and crowned at Westminster Abbey the next day. But there were two other rival claimants to the throne: Harald Hadrada, King of Norway, and William, Duke of Normandy. Both prepared to invade to capture the English throne.

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  • 35. For what purpose did Albert build the Swiss Cottage at Osborne?

    Answer: The entertainment and informal education of the royal children.

    Built between 1853 and 1854, Swiss Cottage was a wooden chalet in Alpine style, and was used by the royal children as a play house and to also teach them how to cook, garden and keep house. They had a museum inside the cottage, grew vegetables in the gardens and played in a miniature fort next to it. 

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  • 36. What was the official cause of Albert’s death in 1861?

    Answer: Typhoid.

    Albert was diagnosed by his doctor William Jenner as having typhoid fever on 9 December 1861. He died on 14 December at Windsor Castle, with the queen and five of their children present. Historians have queried this diagnosis, however, saying that the stomach pains Albert suffered with in the two years before his death could have been symptomatic of cancer, renal failure or Crohn’s disease, and be the actual cause of his death.

     

  • 38. Why did William build the Benedictine abbey at Battle?

    Answer: To atone for the bloodshed of the battle

    Even by the standards of the Middle Ages, the Norman Conquest was exceptionally bloody and brutal. William and his supporters feared they might go to hell as a consequence, William founding Battle Abbey as a penance and as a symbol of his great victory. The abbey was founded on the top of the hill where the battle was fought. Its high altar marks the place where Harold was killed – there is now a stone marker on the spot.

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  • 40. How many tons of iron were used to build the Bridge?

    Answer: 378 tons

    Although Darby commissioned many paintings and engravings of the finished bridge, a lack of images or eyewitness accounts meant that, for over 200 years, little was known of exactly how Darby managed to erect this structure of almost 400 tons. However, in 1997 a small watercolour sketch by Elias Martin, which illustrated the building of the bridge, was discovered in a Stockholm museum and revealed much about the building process. 

    Image: Forge at Colebrookdale, Shropshire (now spelt Coalbrookdale) - circa 1858.

  • 41. How were Victoria and Albert related?

    Answer: They were first cousins.

    Victoria was the daughter of Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, also known as the Duchess of Kent. Albert was the son of Princess Victoria’s brother Ernest. 

  • 44. William’s forces killed large numbers of Englishmen by twice using what tactic?

    Answer: Feigning retreat

    William's foot soldiers and cavalry drew English soldiers from their positions by twice feigning retreat before turning around and counter-attacking. The result was that Harold's army was split, giving up the high ground and breaking its shield wall. (Inconsistencies in the sources mean that we can’t be sure that William’s army feigned retreat twice. The Carmen de Hastingae Proelio, for instance, describes William’s army as feigning retreat and then genuinely retreating.)

  • 45. In which year were women granted equal voting rights with men?

    Answer: 1928

    Some women were given the right to vote in 1918, as a result of the Representation of the People Act. But it only applied to women over the age of 30 who met a property qualification. Although 8.5 million women met this criteria, it only represented 40 per cent of the total population of women in the UK.

  • 49. Whose discovery made the mass production of cast iron viable?

    Answer: Abraham Darby I.

    Abraham Darby (1678-1717) was the first and best known of a succession of men from the Darby family who carried the same name. 

    Born into an English Quaker family who played an important role in the Industrial Revolution, Darby developed an innovative method of iron smelting. Using coke made from local coal to fuel furnaces rather than charcoal, Darby's discovery made the mass production of cast iron economically viable. With this breakthrough in production, the iron trade in Britain accelerated and local industry began to flourish.

    Image: Abraham Darby at his forge and the discovery of cast iron. Etching, English, 19th century.

  • 50. Who built the castle at Tintagel in the 1230s?

    Answer: Richard, Earl of Cornwall

    The Earl of Cornwall built a castle at Tintagel even though the site was of no military value - instead, he seems to have been inspired by the myths surrounding the location.

    In order to secure the plot of land on the north Cornish coast, he swapped it for three of his manors.

    Image: A view of Tintagel Castle.