Quiz “British Monarchs”

1. What were the reasons for the Roman invasion?

2. The strength of Anglo-Saxon culture is obvious even today, isn’t it? Prove it.

3. When the Vikings invaded Britain he was the only king who held out against them. According to a certain document the Vikings ruled in the east and north of England and he was recognized as king in the rest of the country. Who was that king? What was the document?

4. What king imposed a tax on people called Danegeld? Why was the tax called so?

5. Why was Edward known as “the Confessor”?

6. In 1086 William I sent a team of people all through England to make a complete economic survey. Why did he do that? What was the survey called? Why?

7. Magna Carta is known as an important symbol of political freedom. But in fact it gave no real freedom to the majority of people in England. Why did the nobles write it?

8. What forced the nobles to act as a class in 1258 and what was the outcome?

9. In 1337 Edward III declared war on France. His excuse was a bold one: he claimed the right to the French Crown. What was the actual reason?

10. Though the life of the poor had always been hard the Peasants’ Revolt took place during Richard II’s rule. Why? How did he manage the situation?

11. What caused the Wars of the Roses? Why were they called so?

12. When Henry Tudor, a challenger with a very distant claim to royal blood, landed in England with soldiers to take over the throne, many lords, both Lancastrians and Yorkists, joined him. Half of the English army changed sides and the battle ended very quickly. Henry Tudor was crowned king immediately, on the battlefield. What is the explanation for such a succession of events?

13. What were Henry VIII’s personal and political reasons for the break from Rome?

14. What did Elizabeth I’s foreign policy aim at? What country became the main enemy? Why?

15. In 1641 Ireland exploded in rebellion. The Irish rebels claimed to be rebelling against the English Parliament but not against Charles I. Why?

16. Why was Charles I defeated in the Civil War?

17. After Charles’s execution most people realized that they didn’t want Parliamentary rule and were sorry that Charles was not still king. Why?

18. Why did Richard Cromwell rule only one year?

19. In 1660 Charles II was invited to come back to England. The republic was over. How did he treat the Parliamentarians?

20. Why was William of Orange invited to invade Britain? Who invited him? Why was that fact considered revolutionary?

21. Robert Walpole was determined to keep the Crown under the firm control of Parliament. He knew that at the time it was more possible than it had been before. What made him think so?

22. How did George III differ from his father and grandfather?

23. Why was George III strongly criticized by John Wilkes?

24. In 1851 Queen Victoria opened the Great Exhibition of the Industries of All Nations in London. What was it meant to show?

25. What made Queen Victoria greatly loved by the British?

26. How did George V put an end to the political crisis in 1909?

27. Why was George V called “a people’s king”?

28. Why did Edward VIII give up the throne?

29. What king gained much popularity during the Second World War? Why?

30. Why didn’t the French President General de Gaulle allow Britain to join the European Community?