King Henry VIII Trivia Quiz

I had great fun unearthing these slightly lesser known facts about Henry's life. I hope you enjoy the quiz.

A multiple-choice quiz by fringe. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
fringe

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
70,768

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
20

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
11 / 20

Plays
5895

Awards
Top 5% quiz!

Last 3 plays: Guest 96 (15/20), Guest 147 (20/20), Guest 2 (5/20).

This quiz has 2 formats: you can play it as a or as shown below.
Scroll down to the bottom for the answer key.

1. How many children in total did Henry VIII father? (That we know about!) Hint

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2. Three of Henry's new born sons were also named Henry and created Dukes. Which dukedom were they all awarded? Hint

Richmond

Clarence

York

Cornwall

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3. Henry's one recognised illegitimate son was created the Duke of... Hint

Clarence

Cornwall

York

Richmond

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4. Of the four Thomases that helped shape Henry's reign which did not fall foul of the King and was in fact summoned to minister to him on his deathbed? Hint

Wolsey

Cranmer

Cromwell

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5. Thomas Wolsey founded a college at Oxford University called Cardinal College. How is this college now known? Hint

Oriel

St. Anne's

Jesus

Christ Church

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6. Which of Henry's wives was rumoured to have had six fingers on one hand? Hint

Anne of Cleves

Anne Boleyn

Catherine Parr

Catherine Howard

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7. What was known as the 'King's Great Matter'? Hint

His meeting with Francis I at the Field of Cloth of Gold.

His burgeoning weight in later life.

His desire to free himself from Katherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn.

His excommunication by the Pope.

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8. Which one of Henry's wives was older than he was? Hint

Anne of Cleves

Catherine Parr

Katherine of Aragon

Jane Seymour

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9. What birthday did Henry celebrate a few days after his coronation? Hint

25th

16th

18th

21st

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10. Henry was the first English King to be addressed in what way? Hint

Your Majesty

Your Highness

My Lord

Your Grace

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11. All of Henry's six wives were descended from the same King. Who was he? Hint

William II

Harold II

Richard I

Edward I

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12. A play by famous English playwright and dramatist Robert Bolt covered Henry's conflict with Thomas More over his marriage to Anne Boleyn. What was it called? Hint

Vivat! Vivat Regina!

Flowering Cherry

A Man for All Seasons

The Mission

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13. When Katherine of Aragon died in 1536. Henry is said to have celebrated her death by dressing from head to toe in which colour? Hint

Blue

White

Yellow

Red

14. When Henry was actively searching for a fourth wife one of the women put forward by his advisors commented 'had I two heads, one I would gladly leave to the King of England's disposal'. Who was she? Hint

Madeleine of France

Amelia of Cleves

Christina of Milan

Anne of Cleves

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15. There are several theories concerning the state of Henry's health. Which of the following does NOT feature as a likely illness he suffered from? Hint

Gout

Cancer

Scurvy

Diabetes

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16. Which of Henry's wives had as her motto, and emblazoned on her livery, 'Grumble all you like, this is how it's going to be'? Hint

Katherine of Aragon

Catherine Parr

Anne of Cleves

Anne Boleyn

NEXT>

17. Henry named one of his ships after Katherine of Aragon's closest friend. Who was she? Hint

Lady Dacre

Gertrude Blount

Maria de Salinas

Mary Stafford

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18. Pets were prevalent at the court of King Henry. He himself had many dogs, as well as ferrets and birds. What did Katherine of Aragon have as her pet? Hint

Monkey

Rabbit

Cat

Canary

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19. Which of Henry's wives chose the motto 'Bound to obey and serve'? Hint

Anne of Cleves

Catherine Howard

Catherine Parr

Jane Seymour

NEXT>

20. And finally, where was Henry buried? Hint

Westminster Abbey

Winchester Cathedral

Greenwich Palace

St. George's Chapel, Windsor

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. How many children in total did Henry VIII father? (That we know about!)

Answer: 11

Between them, Katherine of Aragon (6) and Anne Boleyn (3) bore Henry nine children - only two of which survived beyond infancy. There was also one child each by Jane Seymour and his mistress Bessie Blount.

2. Three of Henry's new born sons were also named Henry and created Dukes. Which dukedom were they all awarded?

Answer: Cornwall

The first Henry, born to Katherine of Aragon in 1511, lived for just 52 days. Another to Katherine in 1513 and the third to Anne Boleyn in 1534 were both still born.

3. Henry's one recognised illegitimate son was created the Duke of...

Answer: Richmond

Henry Fitzroy (meaning son of the King) was born to Henry and Elizabeth (Bessie) Blount in 1519 and subsequently created Duke of Richmond.

4. Of the four Thomases that helped shape Henry's reign which did not fall foul of the King and was in fact summoned to minister to him on his deathbed?

Answer: Cranmer

Both Thomas More and Cromwell were executed and Wolsey died on his way to London to be tried for treason.

5. Thomas Wolsey founded a college at Oxford University called Cardinal College. How is this college now known?

Answer: Christ Church

Cardinal College, founded by Wolsey in 1525, was renamed by Henry in 1546. The Cardinal's hat is still to be seen in the college crest today.

6. Which of Henry's wives was rumoured to have had six fingers on one hand?

Answer: Anne Boleyn

Although widely circulated, this rumour was never substantiated and could have originated from the Victorian era.

7. What was known as the 'King's Great Matter'?

Answer: His desire to free himself from Katherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn.

When Anne became pregnant in 1532 Henry was still trying to pressurise the Pope into declaring his marriage to Katherine invalid. The impending birth hastened matters and Thomas Cranmer, as Archbishop of Canterbury, ruled Henry's union with Katherine null and void so leaving him free to marry Anne before the birth of Elizabeth.

8. Which one of Henry's wives was older than he was?

Answer: Katherine of Aragon

Katherine, who was married to Henry for over 20 years, was six years older, having been briefly married to his elder brother Arthur eight years earlier.

9. What birthday did Henry celebrate a few days after his coronation?

Answer: 18th

On the 11th June 1509 Henry married his first wife, Katherine of Aragon and was crowned with her on the 23rd June, five days before his 18th birthday.

10. Henry was the first English King to be addressed in what way?

Answer: Your Majesty

Until this time, Your Grace and Your Highness were more traditional and favoured forms of address for the monarch.

11. All of Henry's six wives were descended from the same King. Who was he?

Answer: Edward I

Jane Seymour and Catherine Parr (together with Henry himself) were descended from Edward I via his eldest son Edward II. The remaining four descended from Edward I's daughter Margaret and his son from his second marriage, Thomas.

12. A play by famous English playwright and dramatist Robert Bolt covered Henry's conflict with Thomas More over his marriage to Anne Boleyn. What was it called?

Answer: A Man for All Seasons

"A Man for all Seasons", starring Paul Scofield as Thomas More, won Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director Academy Awards in 1966.

13. When Katherine of Aragon died in 1536. Henry is said to have celebrated her death by dressing from head to toe in which colour?

Answer: Yellow

Henry's dissatisfaction with Katherine was evident even before his involvement with Anne Boleyn, and although she was still popular with his people, Henry was certainly not distraught at the news of her death. However, as a sign of respect for the woman he maintained was his sister-in-law, both he and Anne wore yellow, the Spanish colour of royal mourning.

Answer: Christina of Milan

Upon hearing this Henry realised that his break with Rome was not the only stumbling block when it came to future unions - his marital history did not help!

15. There are several theories concerning the state of Henry's health. Which of the following does NOT feature as a likely illness he suffered from?

Answer: Cancer

Famously considered to have suffered from gout in his later years, it is often suggested that, due to his meat-rich diet, Henry was also afflicted with scurvy. There has also been speculation that he and his siblings suffered from diabetes.

16. Which of Henry's wives had as her motto, and emblazoned on her livery, 'Grumble all you like, this is how it's going to be'?

Answer: Anne Boleyn

This phrase, translated from the Latin, was Anne's motto for a short time and reflected her reaction to protests against Henry's choice of her as his Queen.

17. Henry named one of his ships after Katherine of Aragon's closest friend. Who was she?

Answer: Maria de Salinas

Maria was the lady closest to Katherine, having been maid of honour to Katherine's mother, and accompanied her from Spain.

18. Pets were prevalent at the court of King Henry. He himself had many dogs, as well as ferrets and birds. What did Katherine of Aragon have as her pet?

Answer: Monkey

Katherine appears with her monkey in a miniature by Lucas Horenbout.

19. Which of Henry's wives chose the motto 'Bound to obey and serve'?

Answer: Jane Seymour

Jane proved to be totally subservient to the King's will and dutifully chose her motto to reflect this.

20. And finally, where was Henry buried?

Answer: St. George's Chapel, Windsor

Quite by chance, Henry's unmarked vault was discovered in 1813. His skeleton was clearly visible, the coffin having partially fallen away.

Source: Author fringe

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