Edouard, roi d'Angleterre Trivia Quiz

Answer: Model Parliament

Parliament had traditionally been made up of members of the clergy and aristocracy, with country knights and town burgesses being summoned only to ratify its decisions. However, for the parliament of 1295, Edward I decided to call, in addition to an assembly of both spiritual and temporal lords, two representatives from each county, borough and city.

This new assembly, whose primary purpose was to ratify the raising of taxation, would have an additional function to raise the grievences of their populations to the King.

The Model Parliament of 1295 formed the initial basis of what is now understood as the modern form of Parliament with its two Houses of Lords and Commons.

Answer: Battle of Bannockburn

By 1314, Robert the Bruce had taken a number of Scottish castles that had previously belonged to Edward II, and had also sent raiding parties across the border into northern England as far as Carlisle. As a result, Edward II raised and led an army of up to 20,000 men north, where they faced the Scots army of 6,500 men that were positioned to prevent the English from reaching Stirling.

The Battle of Bannockburn proved a triumph for the Scots and a humiliation for Edward, who was forced to flee the battlefield, first to Dunbar, then Berwick before sailing for England, leaving Stirling Castle to be taken by the Scots.

Answer: Order of the Garter

The Order of the Garter is supposed to have come about following a court ball attended by the King. At this, a lady dropped her garter to the floor. Amid sniggers, the King retrieved it, and cautioned the assembly with the words 'Honi soit qui mal y pense' (Shame to he that thinks evil of it). This became the motto of the order, with the blue garter ring its symbol.

Answer: George

George, Duke of Clarence, was the next eldest surviving of Edward IV's brothers. Following Edward's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville, George began spreading rumours that the King was already married, making all of the children produced by Edward and Elizabeth illegitimate, and George therefore the lawful heir to the throne. Eventually the King's patience evaporated, leading to his brother's arrest and trial on charges of treason. George was subsequently 'privately executed', with it being rumoured that he was 'drowned in a butt of Malmsey wine'.

Answer: Ludlow

Upon learning of the death of Edward IV in April 1483, the new king, then aged 12, set off at once from Ludlow for London with plans for an immediate coronation. However, his entourage was intercepted before reaching the capital by Edward's paternal uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, who had been nominated in Edward IV's will as Protector. Once under the influence of his uncle, Edward V's planned coronation was postponed. During this period, Richard convinced the council to have his brother's marriage to Elizabeth Woodville declared invalid, and their children illegitimate.

This was done in an Act of Parliament, the 'Titulus Regius', which saw Edward V deposed and his uncle become King Richard III. Edward, together with his younger brother Richard, Duke of York, subsequently became infamous as one of the 'Princes in the Tower'.

Answer: Lady Jane Grey

In his efforts to ensure the continuance of the Reformation, Edward knew that he would have to be succeeded by a fellow Protestant, and so drew up what he called his "devise for the succession". In this, he declared both of his half-sisters illegitimate, and instead stated that the throne should pass to the children of his cousin, Frances Grey (the daughter of Henry VIII's sister Mary).

However, all of them were girls who, despite being quickly married, were unlikely to produce any children prior the King's death. So, reworking the 'devise', Edward made provision for the throne to be left to Lady Jane Grey, Frances Grey's eldest daughter, and subsequently any male children she would have.

However, on the King's death in the summer of 1553, the reign of 'Queen Jane' lasted for just nine days before, with popular support, Edward's sister Mary regained the throne as Queen Mary I.

Answer: France

Because Edward VII had been sidelined by his mother, he was viewed on his accession as a lightweight in state matters by the government. As a consequence, there was alarm when he unilaterally decided to undertake a state visit to Paris in 1903, given relations between Britain and France were still traditionally cool.

However, Edward's visit proved a triumph, with the public reaction to him in Paris swinging from hostility to adoration in the space of a week thanks to the King's charm. As a consequence, the British and French governments opened up a negotiation that eventually led to them signing what became known as the 'Entente Cordiale' in 1904.

Answer: Windsor

Upon Edward VIII's abdication, there was some debate as to what he should subsequently be called. In his farewell address on BBC Radio, he was referred to as 'His Royal Highness Prince Edward'; there had been suggestions that abdicating had caused him to lose royal rank altogether, and he should have been called 'Mr Edward Windsor'. Eventually, his brother issued letters patent which conferred on him the title 'His Royal Highness The Duke of Windsor'.

This was reinforced in subsequent letters patent, which explicitly denied the title 'Her Royal Highness' to anyone the Duke should marry. Edward eventually married Wallis Simpson on 3 June 1937, six months after the abdication.

Answer: Edward V

Edward V came to the throne on the death of his father, Edward IV, on 9 April 1483, and was deposed by his uncle, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, on 25 June the same year, reigning for a total of 77 days.

Answer: Edward VII

Edward VII was 59 years old when he succeeded his mother in January 1901. In addition to being one of the oldest monarchs to succeed (at the time, only his great-uncle, William IV, had been older upon his succession), he was also the longest serving heir to the throne at that point, having occupied that position since his birth.