Image: Wellcome Collection/CCA 4.0/Wikipedia
About This Quiz
Whether you love 'em or think they're irrelevant, there's no denying that commoners are - and always have been - fascinated by royalty. How well do you know these historic members of society's upper echelon?
King William I is better known as William the Conqueror. What was his other nickname?
William the Brutal
William the Bastard
William I ruled England from 1066 to 1087, and was the illegitimate son of Robert the Devil, Duke of Normandy - hence the "bastard" designation. He defeated King Harold II at the Battle of Hastings in his bid for the throne, which he said was promised him by his second cousin, Harold's predecessor.
William the Handsome
How many pregnancies did Queen Anne have?
1
8
17
Anne had a rough go of it, maternity-wise. She had 17 pregnancies, yet only one child survived birth. Then that child died of smallpox at age 11. Under her reign (1702-1714), the United Kingdom of Great Britain was formed.
Which monarch is credited with revitalizing the British crown?
George IV
William IV
Victoria
Her predecessors were hardly respected, but Victoria (with husband Albert, who was considered by many to be the true ruler) revamped the monarchy to set an example of morality. Among their accomplishments were the establishment of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Imperial College and the Science Museum. She ruled from 1837-1901.
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Which of the following is NOT true of Queen Elizabeth II?
She is not yet Britain's longest-serving monarch.
The reigning Queen reached the achievement of longest-serving monarch in 2015 when she eclipsed her great-great-grandmother, Victoria. During the Second World War she served in the women's branch of the British Army. And her husband Prince Phillip also is her second cousin.
She trained during World War II as a driver and mechanic.
She married her cousin.
What was the cause of the car crash that claimed the life of Princess Grace of Monaco?
intoxication
stroke
Known prior to her royal turn as film star Grace Kelly, Princess Grace had a stroke while she driving with her daughter Princess Stephanie along the cliffs of southern France. Grace died at age 52, but Stephanie survived.
mechanical failure
Which monarchy is considered the oldest continuous monarchy in the world?
Imperial House of Japan
The Imperial House impressively dates back to 660 B.C.E., and includes 125 monarchs. By comparison, the House of Windsor is infantile, only dating back to 1917.
House of Windsor
The Ming Dynasty
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Which Romanov ruler is credited with launching the Golden Age of the Russian Empire?
Peter the Great
Czar Nicholas II
Catherine the Great
The period of Catherine's rule (1762 to 1796) is typically referred to as the Golden Age of the Russian Empire. She also heralded the start of Russia's enthusiasm for Western arts and culture.
Czar Nicholas II, of the Russian Romanovs, had a son named Alexei. What disease did he have?
epilepsy
hemophilia
Alexei likely inherited the disease from his great-grandmother Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. Many of her descendants also had the blood-clotting disorder, so it has been dubbed "the royal disease."
leukemia
What type of monarchy is Saudi Arabia?
absolute
Saudi Arabia has an absolute monarchy, meaning the king is head of both state and government and is the supreme authority. This is a far cry from many other royal houses.
limited
constitutional
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How did Queen Alia of Jordan die?
execution
helicopter crash
The much loved then-reigning Queen of Jordan died when the helicopter she was riding in crashed in 1977. She was known for advocating for Arab women and also providing help to underpriveleged families.
cancer
Which of these kings' titles is NOT real?
Charles the Fat
Charles the Bad
Charles the Fool
Charles the Fat ruled the Holy Roman Empire from 839-888; there's no record of just how fat he was. Charles the Bad (king of Navarre from 1349-1387) earned his title from having rivals killed and various other ruthless deeds. There was no Charles the Fool, though there was a Charles the Simple in the 900s.
This country has a unique monarchy because the ruler only has a five-year term:
Malaysia
Malaysia has nine royal households who take turns sitting on the throne for five-year periods. The selection of the next king (sultan) is decided by a vote of representatives from all nine households.
Thailand
Turkey
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You Got:
/12
Wellcome Collection/CCA 4.0/Wikipedia