History of the English monarchy - Quiz
History of the English monarchy
  • 1. Which kingdoms did Cnut the Great unite with England to form the North Sea Empire?
A) Sweden and Finland
B) France and Normandy
C) Scotland and Ireland
D) Denmark and Norway
  • 2. Who was the widow of Æthelred that Cnut married?
A) Ælfgifu
B) Emma of Normandy
C) Edith of Wessex
D) Margaret of Scotland
  • 3. What official role was created by Cnut to act as the king's direct representative in a shire?
A) Chancellor
B) Earl
C) Sheriff
D) Archbishop
  • 4. Which earl was Cnut's chief minister and the strongest earl of Wessex?
A) Robert of Jumièges
B) Ralph of Mantes
C) Godwin
D) Leofric
  • 5. Who did Leofric, earl of Mercia, support for the throne after Cnut died?
A) Edward the Confessor
B) Alfred Aetheling
C) Harthacnut
D) Harold Harefoot
  • 6. What happened to Alfred Aetheling when he returned to England?
A) He was crowned king
B) He became the earl of Wessex
C) He fled back to Normandy
D) He was blinded and died of his injuries
  • 7. Who was the only surviving son of Æthelred and Emma?
A) Harold Harefoot
B) Edward the Confessor
C) Alfred Aetheling
D) Harthacnut
  • 8. Who was the first chancellor appointed by Edward the Confessor?
A) Robert of Jumièges
B) Regenbald
C) Godwin
D) Ralph of Mantes
  • 9. Which city was becoming the political and commercial capital of England during Edward's reign?
A) Winchester
B) London
C) York
D) Canterbury
  • 10. What two major structures did Edward the Confessor build to further London's transition as a capital?
A) Windsor Castle and Canterbury Cathedral
B) Winchester Palace and the Royal Treasury
C) The Tower of London and St. Paul's Cathedral
D) Westminster Palace and Westminster Abbey
  • 11. How much were the Godwinson estates worth in 1066 compared to the king's estates?
A) £3,000 versus £8,000
B) £10,000 versus £2,000
C) £5,000 versus £7,000
D) £7,000 versus £5,000
  • 12. Whom did Edward appoint as Archbishop of Canterbury instead of a Godwin relative?
A) Ralph of Mantes
B) Eustace of Boulogne
C) Robert of Jumièges
D) Regenbald
  • 13. Who initiated the quarrel with Godwin in 1051?
A) William of Normandy
B) Harold Harefoot
C) Edward the Exile
D) Count Eustace of Boulogne
  • 14. Which relative did Edward invite to England and supposedly nominate as his heir?
A) William, Duke of Normandy
B) Ralph of Mantes
C) Alfred Aetheling
D) Edgar Ætheling
  • 15. Who did Margaret, daughter of Edward the Exile, marry?
A) Edward the Confessor
B) Harold Godwinson
C) William of Normandy
D) Malcolm III of Scotland
  • 16. Which kingdom survived the Viking invasions after 865?
A) Kent
B) Northumbria
C) Wessex
D) Mercia
  • 17. Who was the first king to style himself 'king of the Anglo-Saxons'?
A) Edward the Elder
B) Æthelstan
C) Edmund I
D) Alfred the Great
  • 18. Who is considered the founder of the English monarchy?
A) Alfred the Great
B) Æthelstan
C) Edgar the Peaceful
D) Edward the Elder
  • 19. Who succeeded the childless Æthelstan?
A) Eadwig
B) Edmund I
C) Edgar
D) Eadred
  • 20. Why were Edmund I's sons passed over for the throne in 946?
A) They were too young
B) They were in exile
C) They were murdered
D) They refused the crown
  • 21. Who became the undisputed king of all England in 959?
A) Eadwig
B) Eadred
C) Edmund I
D) Edgar the Peaceful
  • 22. Who had Edward the Martyr murdered?
A) Cnut
B) Edgar the Peaceful
C) Eadwig
D) Æthelred the Unready
  • 23. What were the payments called that Æthelred used to buy off Danish raiders?
A) Wergild
B) Tribute
C) Danegeld
D) Taxation
  • 24. Who conquered England in 1013?
A) Alfred the Great
B) Swein Forkbeard
C) Edmund Ironside
D) Cnut
  • 25. How does David Starkey describe the agreement made between the English and Æthelred in 1014?
A) A tactical surrender
B) The first constitutional settlement in English history
C) A failed peace treaty
D) A betrayal of the Anglo-Saxon people
  • 26. What century did the Kingdom of England consolidate from Anglo-Saxon kingdoms?
A) 11th century
B) 10th century
C) 9th century
D) 8th century
  • 27. What system of succession replaced the elective monarchy after 1066?
A) Appointment
B) Primogeniture
C) Tanistry
D) Lottery
  • 28. In what year was the Lordship of Ireland created?
A) 1215
B) 1283
C) 1066
D) 1177
  • 29. In what year did King John agree to the terms of Magna Carta?
A) 1283
B) 1215
C) 1542
D) 1066
  • 30. What title was used by some kings before England was a single kingdom?
A) Chieftain
B) Overlord
C) Bretwalda
D) Emperor
  • 31. What was the capital of the English monarchy during the House of Wessex period?
A) Winchester
B) York
C) Canterbury
D) London
  • 32. What was the council of bishops and nobles that advised the king called?
A) Witan
B) Senate
C) Parliament
D) Congress
  • 33. What was the land tax used as an essential source of royal revenue called?
A) Tithe
B) Duty
C) Rent
D) Geld
  • 34. What term describes the royal demesne in modern times?
A) Public Land
B) Royal Treasury
C) Private Property
D) Crown Estate
  • 35. What did the witan do regarding the succession of kings?
A) Had no role in succession
B) Inherited the throne
C) Appointed the king's successor by birth order
D) Elected kings from royal family members
  • 36. What was the name for male royal family members eligible to be king?
A) Ealdormen
B) Æthelings
C) Thegns
D) Barons
  • 37. What was necessary for a monarch's rule to be considered legitimate?
A) Military victory
B) Coronation by the church
C) Wealth
D) Popular vote
  • 38. Who gave William of Normandy his blessing to invade England?
A) Edward the Confessor
B) The Witan
C) Pope Alexander II
D) Ealdred, archbishop of York
  • 39. Who did Harold Godwinson defeat at the Battle of Stamford Bridge?
A) Tostig Godwinson
B) William of Normandy
C) Harald Hardrada
D) Edgar Ætheling
  • 40. On what date did William land in England?
A) 5 January 1066
B) 28 September 1066
C) 25 September 1066
D) 14 October 1066
  • 41. When did the Battle of Hastings take place?
A) 25 December 1066
B) 6 January 1066
C) 25 September 1066
D) 14 October 1066
  • 42. Who nominated Edgar Ætheling to be king after the Battle of Hastings?
A) Harold Godwinson
B) Ealdred
C) William of Normandy
D) The Witan
  • 43. On what day was William of Normandy crowned king?
A) 14 October 1066
B) 6 January 1066
C) 5 January 1066
D) Christmas Day 1066
  • 44. Which of Harold Godwinson's brothers invaded England with Harald Hardrada?
A) Leofwine
B) Edgar
C) Tostig Godwinson
D) Gyrth
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