Second of Their Names Trivia Quiz

Answer: William II

Son of William the Conqueror, William II was nicknamed Rufus because of his red hair. He reigned from 1087, the year his father died, to 1100. A bellicose man, he fought successful wars in France and Wales, while keeping Scotland at bay and docile.

Answer: William II

William II "Rufus" was hit by an arrow while hunting, in the year 1100. Earliest accounts did not mention the name of his slayer, while later sources, in their embellished and most probably heavily fictitious accounts, claim that a certain Walter Tirel fired the arrow that killed the King.

It is possible that the accident was in fact an assassination orchestrated by William's brother, Henry, who became King Henry I afterwards.

Answer: Henry II

The phrase "turbulent priest" refers to Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury. Although Henry II and Becket were initially friends, they later had different views on the influence of the Church on the State and vice versa. Henry had Becket assassinated, but, seeing the popular anger on the murder and the Vatican's backlash, he did penance and prayed on Becket's tomb, while later exploiting the cult of Becket for his own ends.

Answer: Henry II

The invasion was by large a success and resulted in England dominating huge swathes of Ireland. The Roman Catholic Church, although inimical to Henry because of the murder of Thomas Becket, supported his invasion, because of the rich tithes that the Church had to gain were Gaelic Ireland to be subordinated to the English Crown.

Answer: Henry II

Henry's death occurred in France while he was facing a revolt by his son Richard, who became known as Richard the Lionheart, and supported by Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry's wife. His health problems meant that the "Lion in Winter" did not have his former vigour and energy.

Henry's death resulted in Richard consolidating the lands of the English Crown quickly, but less than six months of the new king's reign, which spanned ten years, were spent in England proper.

Answer: Edward II

"Longshanks" was a nickname given to King Edward I of England. He was also known as "Hammer of the Scots", because of his many victories against Scotland, which he subdued to England. Edward II was the fourth son of Edward I and ultimately the one to succeed him in 1307, when Longshanks died amidst a campaign in Scotland.

The young king, however, did not share his father's military genius and, as a result, was badly defeated in Bannockburn in 1314.

Answer: Edward II

The nickname refers to Isabella of France, who became Edward's wife in 1308, a year after his ascension to the throne. Although the popular film "Braveheart" has Isabella already in England while both Edward I and Scottish leader William Wallace were alive (and also suggests that Isabella's son was fathered by Wallace), this is not true. Yet, there are indeed suspicions of Edward III's parentage, given that Edward II was infatuated by a male courtier, something causing bewilderment and disgust to Isabella.

Answer: Edward II

Edward II was a colossal failure as king, not only losing Scotland, but also losing the support of his barons, his wife, and his putative son, Edward III. It is possible that Isabella of France contrived the plot to dispose of her husband in 1325, while on a diplomatic mission to France, alongside Roger Mortimer.

Although some revisionist historians claim that Edward actually survived the plot against him and lived for many years without attempting to reclaim his throne, it is commonly accepted that he was indeed killed in Berkeley Castle in 1327.

Answer: Richard II

Edward the Black Prince as the son of King Edward III. One of the most successful military leaders of medieval England, he died before his father, ergo his own son, Richard, ascended the English throne as King Richard II, at the age of ten. Richard's mother was Joan of Kent, whom a French chronicler described as "in her time the most beautiful woman in all the realm of England, and the most loved".

Answer: Richard II

Wat Tyler's revolt, also known as the Peasants' Revolt, took place in 1381. It was the result of grievances of the lower strata of English society over the devastating effects of the Black Death, the high taxes that were used to finance the Crown's war efforts in France and the general sense of instability. Richard II was a significant driving force behind the ruthless suppression of the revolt, yet, after the leading rebels were killed or executed many taxes were lowered and some towns received charters, while promises were made for the abolition of serfdom, which never occurred.