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Quiz about The Black Prince
Quiz about The Black Prince

The Black Prince Trivia Quiz


During his lifetime the Black Prince was a distinguished military leader who fought against France in the Hundred Years War. He was heir to the throne of England, and held both British and French titles.

A multiple-choice quiz by picqero. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
picqero
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
191,917
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
15
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
10 / 15
Plays
877
Awards
Top 5% quiz!
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Question 1 of 15
1. Who was the father of the Black Prince? Hint


Question 2 of 15
2. The mother of the Black Prince was Queen Isabella of France.


Question 3 of 15
3. Which of these sons of the king of England became the person known to history as "The Black Prince"? Hint


Question 4 of 15
4. In what year was the Black Prince invested as Prince of Wales? Hint


Question 5 of 15
5. What was the motto adopted by the Black Prince, and used thereafter by succeeding Princes of Wales? Hint


Question 6 of 15
6. There are various opinions on why the Black Prince was so called. What is the most widely accepted reason for this title? Hint


Question 7 of 15
7. The Black Prince spent much of his life on military campaigns, and took a lead role in several major battles. In which of the following battles did the Black Prince not participate? Hint


Question 8 of 15
8. By what affectionate nickname was the Black Prince's wife known? Hint


Question 9 of 15
9. A gemstone, known as 'The Black Prince's Ruby', is presently set in one of the Royal jewels used during the coronation. In which of the Crown Jewels is this gemstone set? Hint


Question 10 of 15
10. During the lifetime of the Black Prince, one of Britain's most ancient honours was established. What was this honour? Hint


Question 11 of 15
11. Gunpowder and cannon were in use at battles in which the Black Prince fought.


Question 12 of 15
12. The Black Prince was related by marriage to the famous poet and author, Geoffrey Chaucer.


Question 13 of 15
13. In what year did the Black Prince become King of England? Hint


Question 14 of 15
14. How did the Black Prince end his life? Hint


Question 15 of 15
15. Where is the tomb of the Black Prince? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Who was the father of the Black Prince?

Answer: King Edward III of England

The Black Prince was the son of Edward III, and heir to the throne of England, and was the eldest of twelve legitimate children. Edward III was the son of Edward II and Isabella, daughter of Philip IV of France. Accompanied by his sixteen year old son, Edward III led the English forces at the Battle of Crecy in 1346.

In spite of greatly superior numbers, the French were resoundingly defeated, mainly due to the firepower of the English archers.
2. The mother of the Black Prince was Queen Isabella of France.

Answer: False

Queen Isabella was in fact the Black Prince's grandmother, his grandfather being King Edward II of England. His mother, the wife of Edward III, was Philippa of Hainault (a region of Flanders). Both Philippa and her husband, King Edward III are buried at Westminster Abbey, London, England.
3. Which of these sons of the king of England became the person known to history as "The Black Prince"?

Answer: Edward of Woodstock

Edward of Woodstock's titles included Prince of Wales, Duke of Cornwall and Earl of Chester. In later life he also held several French titles including Prince of Aquitaine and Gascony. Edward was the eldest of the sons of King Edward III. His brothers Lionel, John of Gaunt, and Edmund of Langley were the second, third, and fourth legitimate sons of Edward III.
4. In what year was the Black Prince invested as Prince of Wales?

Answer: 1343

The Black Prince was the second English prince to be invested as Prince of Wales, the first being his grandfather, Edward II. Although the title, Prince of Wales, was traditionally supposed to go to the king's eldest son, the Black Prince's father, Edward III, did not receive it.

This was because Edward II was deposed in favour of his son, Edward III, before he was invested as Prince of Wales.
5. What was the motto adopted by the Black Prince, and used thereafter by succeeding Princes of Wales?

Answer: Ich Dien

The meaning of "Ich Dien" is "I serve". The motto was originally used by the King of Bohemia, and it is unclear as to precisely why the Black Prince adopted it as his own. "Amor Patriae" means "love of my country" and is the motto of various military and other organisations. "Nec Sorte Nec Fato" is the motto of the Scottish clan Rutherford, and means "neither by chance nor fate".

The Fleur de Lis is the emblem of the Princes of Wales, and records their traditional association with France.
6. There are various opinions on why the Black Prince was so called. What is the most widely accepted reason for this title?

Answer: His armour was black.

Although known to history as "the Black Prince" this title was not recorded in England until the 16th century. It is believed that it was the French who first called him by this name due to the black armour he was known to have worn. In England he was known either as Prince Edward of Woodstock or Edward, Prince of Wales.
7. The Black Prince spent much of his life on military campaigns, and took a lead role in several major battles. In which of the following battles did the Black Prince not participate?

Answer: Battle of Agincourt

The Battle of Agincourt took place on October 25th 1415, long after the death of the Black Prince. The English Commander was Henry V, and he led the English forces in an outstanding victory over the French who outnumbered Henry's forces by about five to one.

The English archers, and their speed and accuracy with the longbow was the most crucial aspect of this battle. The Battle of Crecy on August 26th 1346 was the first major battle in which the Black Prince fought. He was only sixteen at this time, and fought under his father, King Edward III's command. Crecy was a major defeat for the French who though outnumbering the English by about three to one, suffered between 8,000 to 10,000 casualties against the English losses of less than a thousand. Crecy like Agincourt was mainly won by the English archers.

The Battle of Poitiers took place on September 19th 1356, and the English forces were led by the Black Prince. John II, King of France was captured in this battle, and later ransomed back to France.

His ransom was truly 'a King's ransom' being approximately equal to two years total income of the whole of France! The Battle of Najera was fought in 1367, and the Black Prince along with his brother, John of Gaunt, led mixed English, French and Spanish forces to restore the throne of Don Pedro of Castile (known as Pedro the Cruel) who had been deposed by his brother Henry of Trastamara.
8. By what affectionate nickname was the Black Prince's wife known?

Answer: The fair maid of Kent

Joan Plantagenet, the fair maid of Kent, had a complex series of marriages. She was secretly married to her first husband, Thomas Holand, when she was only twelve years of age. Some years later while Holand was doing military service in Europe, Joan underwent another arranged marriage to William Montacute, Earl of Salisbury. in 1349 Holand had this marriage annulled by Pope Clement VI, and when Holand died in 1360 Joan married the Black Prince.

She already had five children by Holand, and gave birth to another two by the Black Prince. One of these later became Richard II, King of England.

It is widely believed that Joan was the lady who lost her garter while dancing with King Edward III, which resulted in the creation of the Order of the Garter.
9. A gemstone, known as 'The Black Prince's Ruby', is presently set in one of the Royal jewels used during the coronation. In which of the Crown Jewels is this gemstone set?

Answer: The Imperial Crown of State

The gemstone is actually a spinel weighing over 170 carats (34 grams). The earliest recorded owner was Abu Said, Moorish ruler of Granada, from whom, in the mid fourteenth century, it was taken by Don Pedro of Castile. Pedro was deposed by his brother Henry, who in turn was defeated by the Black Prince at the Battle of Najera in 1367. Pedro then presented the Black Prince with the 'ruby'. Later, Henry V wore it at Agincourt, and it was worn by various British monarchs including Henry VIII and Queen Elizabeth I.

The Imperial Crown of State is normally worn at all State occasions except the coronation of the new monarch, although Queen Victoria did wear it for her coronation as she felt the Coronation Crown was far too heavy. Rubies are normally of greater value than spinels, but the Black Prince's Ruby has enormous historic value. Rubies are a rare variety of corundum, and spinels are a rare variety of magnesium aluminium oxide, but all red gemstones used to be referred to as rubies. There is an excellent picture of much of the Coronation Regalia, including all the above items, at http://www.british-towns.net/britain/jubilee/archive/regalia.htm.
10. During the lifetime of the Black Prince, one of Britain's most ancient honours was established. What was this honour?

Answer: Most Noble Order of the Garter

The Order of the Garter is one of Europe's oldest surviving honours. It was established in 1348 by the Black Prince's father, Edward III. Tradition has it that Edward established the Order as the highest rank of chivalry after he had picked up the slipped garter of the lady with whom he was dancing.

He is said to have remarked "Honi soit qui mal y pense" which loosely translates "Evil to him who thinks ill of it". This became the motto of the Order. The Order of the Thistle was established in 1687 by King James II, although it had existed in Scotland for many years prior to this.

The motto of the Order is "Nerno me impune lacessit" which means "No-one provokes me with impunity". The Most Honourable Order of the Bath was established in 1725 by George I.

Its motto is "Tria juncta in Uno" meaning "Three joined in one", a reference to the unity of England, Scotland and Ireland. Two former presidents of the U.S.A. have been awarded honorary knighthoods of this Order. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush were both appointed Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath in recognition of their good relationship with Britain.

The Most illustrious Order of St. Patrick was established in 1783 by George III, but fell into disuse after Southern Ireland became independent. The last person to be appointed to the Order was Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester in 1934, and the last surviving holder of a knighthood was Eamonn de Valera, former Prime Minister and President of the Republic of Ireland, who died in 1975. Although in disuse, the Order still officially exists, and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II still holds the title of "Sovereign of the Order of St. Patrick".
11. Gunpowder and cannon were in use at battles in which the Black Prince fought.

Answer: True

Gunpowder had been in use in China and Arabia for centuries before the Black Prince was born. The Chinese used it as a weapon against the Mongols in 1232 at the Siege of Kaifeng. Records dating from 1338 show gunpowder being stored at the Tower of London, and early cannon were certainly used at the Battle of Crecy in 1346 at which the Black Prince fought.

The first recorded use of naval cannon was by Edward III at the Battle of Sluys in 1340 against a combined French-Genoese fleet.
12. The Black Prince was related by marriage to the famous poet and author, Geoffrey Chaucer.

Answer: True

Geoffrey Chaucer's wife, Philippa de Roet, and John of Gaunt's wife Katherine were sisters. John of Gaunt was the Black Prince's younger brother, hence Chaucer and the Black Prince were related by marriage. Geoffrey Chaucer is recognised as the greatest of Britain's mediaeval poets and is best known for his work "The Canterbury Tales" which tells of a mixed group of pilgrims travelling to Canterbury to visit the tomb of St. Thomas a Becket.

After the Battle of Poitiers in 1356 the Black Prince made a pilgrimage to Becket's tomb where he thanked God for his great victory over the French.
13. In what year did the Black Prince become King of England?

Answer: He never became King of England

Although he was heir to the throne of England, the Black Prince never became king. This was because he pre-deceased his father Edward III by one year. On the death of King Edward III, the Black Prince's son Richard succeeded to the throne at the age of ten, becoming King Richard II.
14. How did the Black Prince end his life?

Answer: He died from disease caught while on campaign.

During his campaign in Spain to restore the throne of Castille to Dom Pedro, the Black Prince caught some sort of wasting disease. His condition gradually deteriorated, but in 1370 he was still campaigning. He was carried on a litter to Limoges to put down a revolt, and though the citizens pleaded for mercy he had most of them put to death.

This became known as the massacre of Limoges. Eventually the Black Prince returned to England where his condition continued to deteriorate, and he died a very sick man on 8th June 1376.
15. Where is the tomb of the Black Prince?

Answer: Canterbury Cathedral, Kent, England

After his death on 8th June 1376, the Black Prince lay in state in Westminster Hall, London until 29th September when his body was transferred to Canterbury Cathedral. His tomb is in the cathedral's Trinity Chapel, and on top of it the Prince's lifesize effigy is displayed in full armour.

The Prince's original jacket (jupon), gauntlets, helmet, shield and scabbard used to be suspended above his tomb, but replicas have now replaced the originals. The original items are however on secure display elsewhere in Canterbury Cathedral.
Source: Author picqero

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