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Quiz about AngloSaxon Kings and Queens
Quiz about AngloSaxon Kings and Queens

Anglo-Saxon Kings and Queens Trivia Quiz


All you have to do is pick the name of the king or queen that goes with the description. Some are easy, others a bit less so. It's just a bit of fun; hopefully you'll enjoy it and learn some interesting facts too!

A multiple-choice quiz by Aethelflaed. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
Aethelflaed
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
175,405
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
958
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Who is the only English king to be universally accorded the designation 'the Great'? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. A bit harder: this late tenth-century king ruled in a time of peace and codified many laws. He was also the first Anglo-Saxon king to himself have his wife consecrated a queen. Her name was Aelfthryth - but what was his? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. This woman married two kings and two of her sons ruled after her. She was a powerful intriguing beauty who played a key role in the political scene in the first half of the eleventh century. She was not English by birth - but what was her name? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. This eleventh-century king was poorly counselled by his nobles, as his nickname tells you. It also makes him one of the most notorious of the Anglo-Saxon kings. Who was it? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Trick question since this lady comes from Francia! The twelve-year-old daughter of the Frankish king Charles the Bald, she married first Aethelwulf of Wessex, becoming stepmother to Alfred the Great. When Aethelwulf died she married his son Aethelbald. Finally she eloped with Baldwin Iron-Arm, count of Flanders - but what was the name of this beautiful rebel? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. This king, the son of Edward the Elder and his first wife, never married. He had lots of sisters whom he married off to leaders all over Europe. He was also the first English king to rule the whole of England for more than a year. Who was he? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Way back in the seventh century, this king presided over the conversion of Northumbria. Bede said his rule was so peaceful that a pregnant woman could cross the whole land without ever being attacked. Nice. The king had spent a period in exile, and married a Kentish princess. After a long rule he was killed by the pagan Penda of Mercia - but who was he? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. Even further back - this sixth-century Kentish king was the first Saxon king to become a Christian. He had a wife called Bertha and a palace at Canterbury, where the first English archbishopric later resided...but what was his name? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. This eleventh-century queen was daughter to Godwine of Wessex, and sister to Harold who was killed at Hastings. She married Edward the Confessor but they never slept together. What was her name? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. And finally, an easy one. Although he wasn't strictly an English king, which Danish conqueror and king proved to his court that he could not control the tides, in an attempt to stop them annoying him with flattery? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Who is the only English king to be universally accorded the designation 'the Great'?

Answer: Alfred

Yes, it's Alfred, who ruled from 871-99. He was an inventor, sailor, military strategist, translator and philosopher - but he never burnt any cakes. Sorry!
2. A bit harder: this late tenth-century king ruled in a time of peace and codified many laws. He was also the first Anglo-Saxon king to himself have his wife consecrated a queen. Her name was Aelfthryth - but what was his?

Answer: Edgar

Edgar was nicknamed 'the Peaceable', and many kings tried to be just like him, including Cnut.
3. This woman married two kings and two of her sons ruled after her. She was a powerful intriguing beauty who played a key role in the political scene in the first half of the eleventh century. She was not English by birth - but what was her name?

Answer: Emma

Yes it's Emma, who married Aethelred the Unready, and later, the Danish conqueror Cnut who displaced him. Crafty! Her two ruling sons were Harthacnut and Edward the Confessor. Aelfgifu of Northampton was Cnut's first wife who ruled Norway as his regent for a time, and gave birth to his son Harald Harefoot.

A praise poem called the 'Encomium of Emma the Queen' is our main source for her life - and a great read too!
4. This eleventh-century king was poorly counselled by his nobles, as his nickname tells you. It also makes him one of the most notorious of the Anglo-Saxon kings. Who was it?

Answer: Aethelred the Unready

I'm sure you knew that! Alfred's nickname means 'truth-teller', 'Edgar's 'the Peaceable' and Edmund's refers to his armour, extensive for the time. For the uninitiated, 'unready' really comes from the Old English 'unraed' and means 'no counsel' or more specially "unadvised".

Another interesting fact about Athelred is that he managed to clock up about fifteen children between his two wives.
5. Trick question since this lady comes from Francia! The twelve-year-old daughter of the Frankish king Charles the Bald, she married first Aethelwulf of Wessex, becoming stepmother to Alfred the Great. When Aethelwulf died she married his son Aethelbald. Finally she eloped with Baldwin Iron-Arm, count of Flanders - but what was the name of this beautiful rebel?

Answer: Judith

Judith seems to have made a love-match with Baldwin. Their son, also called Baldwin, later married Alfred the Great's daughter Aelfwynn. Baldwin and Aelfwynn's child was named for his great-grandfather, Judith's first husband Aethelwulf. The Flemings pronounced it Adelolf, though - and that's how the name Adolf arose on the continent!
6. This king, the son of Edward the Elder and his first wife, never married. He had lots of sisters whom he married off to leaders all over Europe. He was also the first English king to rule the whole of England for more than a year. Who was he?

Answer: Athelstan

He was pretty remarkable. He won a famous battle at Brunanburh, too.
7. Way back in the seventh century, this king presided over the conversion of Northumbria. Bede said his rule was so peaceful that a pregnant woman could cross the whole land without ever being attacked. Nice. The king had spent a period in exile, and married a Kentish princess. After a long rule he was killed by the pagan Penda of Mercia - but who was he?

Answer: Edwin

Yes, it was Edwin, later culted as a saint at the monastery of Whitby, where his niece, the great Hilda, was abbess.
8. Even further back - this sixth-century Kentish king was the first Saxon king to become a Christian. He had a wife called Bertha and a palace at Canterbury, where the first English archbishopric later resided...but what was his name?

Answer: Aethelberht

Augustine was the missionary who converted him. The other two are East Anglian kings of the seventh century.
9. This eleventh-century queen was daughter to Godwine of Wessex, and sister to Harold who was killed at Hastings. She married Edward the Confessor but they never slept together. What was her name?

Answer: Edith

Poor Edith was one of those Anglo-Saxon queens who never managed to gain power for herself, in between her powerful infighting birth family and a husband who hated her. She was remembered affectionately in the convent which she founded at Wilton; she also died there.
10. And finally, an easy one. Although he wasn't strictly an English king, which Danish conqueror and king proved to his court that he could not control the tides, in an attempt to stop them annoying him with flattery?

Answer: Canute

Canute it is! I hope you enjoyed this quiz!
Source: Author Aethelflaed

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor fringe before going online.
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