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Quiz about The Character Beneath the Crown
Quiz about The Character Beneath the Crown

The Character Beneath the Crown Quiz


Pick the historic ruler from the clues. I'll give you some rather lesser known facts about kings, queens or emperors of days gone by, and you guess from the choices who I am describing.

A multiple-choice quiz by fringe. Estimated time: 6 mins.
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Author
fringe
Time
6 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
147,482
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
1876
Awards
Top 10% Quiz
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. At his coronation, this French ruler crowned himself standing before the altar in the cathedral of Notre Dame. His emblem was a bee, and although he hated cats he loved horses, in particular his Arab stallion Marengo and mare Desirée. Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. She was the first English queen to be crowned in her own right. Although she had been betrothed three times by the age of 11, she didn't in fact marry until she was in her late 30s, her husband being 11 years her junior. Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. This Prussian king was the eldest son of ten surviving children, and a grandson of England's King George I. His sister, Ulrika, was the Queen of Sweden. Known as "Fritz" to his family, he wrote and spoke mainly in French, and owned whippets, greyhounds and a camel! Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. At only four feet seven inches tall this English king was slow to progress as a child, not able to speak until the age of five (and then only with a stammer, which he never conquered), or walk until he was seven. His elder brother, Henry Frederick, had the dubious distinction of being the first recorded death from typhoid. His elder sister, Elizabeth, married Frederick V of Bohemia. Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. Born in France, this Roman emperor, although tall and handsome, suffered from a nervous tic and a stammer, as well a tendency to stumble due to a weakness in his knees. Particularly fond of playing dice, he wrote a book on the subject, and another to promote three new letters he had invented for the Roman alphabet. Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. As queen of Egypt, she was traditionally considered a great beauty, bathing regularly in asses' milk. Charismatic and highly educated, she was actually the only Egyptian Ptolemaic pharaoh who learned to speak Egyptian! Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. This English monarch, having survived an assassination attempt on Constitution Hill, was the first to live in Buckingham Palace; spoke only German as a child; was left-handed, and wrote 100 volumes of diaries spanning almost 70 years. Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. According to legend (later made popular by Sir Walter Scott) this Scottish king learned the art of perseverance by sitting in a cave on the island of Rathlin and observing a spider weave its web. True or not, his steadfastness paid off, and he managed, on his seventh attempt, to liberate Scotland. Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. Although he ruled England for ten years, this king only paid two brief visits to the country during that time, and then only to raise money for his overseas campaigns. He was fond of music and was said to have written songs with the famous French troubadour, Blondel. Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. One of the first European monarchs to receive the smallpox innoculation, this Russian ruler, although poor at spelling and grammar, compiled a dictionary of the language as well as writing such fairy tales and plays as "Prince Khlor" and "The Paladin of Misfortune". Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. At his coronation, this French ruler crowned himself standing before the altar in the cathedral of Notre Dame. His emblem was a bee, and although he hated cats he loved horses, in particular his Arab stallion Marengo and mare Desirée.

Answer: Napoleon I

Napoleon Buona Parte was born in Corsica in 1769, and in later life dubbed the "Little Corporal" (he was only 5 feet 6 inches tall), perhaps in retaliation for referring to the English as "a nation of shopkeepers". After his death in 1821, his head was shaved for souvenirs, and his heart and stomach put in a silver vase and pepperpot respectively.
2. She was the first English queen to be crowned in her own right. Although she had been betrothed three times by the age of 11, she didn't in fact marry until she was in her late 30s, her husband being 11 years her junior.

Answer: Mary I

Known as "Bloody Mary" she was the eldest child of Henry VIII, and the first royal princess to bear the title 'Princess of Wales'. Mary ascended the throne in 1553 following the deposition of Queen Jane, and three years later assumed the title 'Queen of Spain' when her husband, Philip II, acceded to the throne.
3. This Prussian king was the eldest son of ten surviving children, and a grandson of England's King George I. His sister, Ulrika, was the Queen of Sweden. Known as "Fritz" to his family, he wrote and spoke mainly in French, and owned whippets, greyhounds and a camel!

Answer: Frederick II

Born in 1712, Frederick was a popular man, having many well-known friends and admirers. It was in fact Voltaire who first dubbed him "Frederick the Great", and both Napoleon and Hitler visited his vault in Potsdam to pay homage many years later.
4. At only four feet seven inches tall this English king was slow to progress as a child, not able to speak until the age of five (and then only with a stammer, which he never conquered), or walk until he was seven. His elder brother, Henry Frederick, had the dubious distinction of being the first recorded death from typhoid. His elder sister, Elizabeth, married Frederick V of Bohemia.

Answer: Charles I

Charles loved sport, hunting and tennis in particular. He also showed an appreciation of the arts, encouraging Van Dyck and Reubens. On a freezing day in January 1649 he was executed, wearing two shirts, so that he would not be seen to shiver and appear afraid.
5. Born in France, this Roman emperor, although tall and handsome, suffered from a nervous tic and a stammer, as well a tendency to stumble due to a weakness in his knees. Particularly fond of playing dice, he wrote a book on the subject, and another to promote three new letters he had invented for the Roman alphabet.

Answer: Claudius

Tiberius Claudius Drusus Nero Germanicus was born in Lyon in 10BC, succeeding Caligula as Emperor in AD41. He had a cruel streak and was not averse to having his detractors executed, including members of his own family. It is generally thought that he in turn was murdered by his fourth wife, Agrippina the younger, in order to secure her son Nero's succession.
6. As queen of Egypt, she was traditionally considered a great beauty, bathing regularly in asses' milk. Charismatic and highly educated, she was actually the only Egyptian Ptolemaic pharaoh who learned to speak Egyptian!

Answer: Cleopatra VII

Incest being a royal tradition in ancient Egypt, Cleopatra's parents were brother and sister, and she married her own brother Ptolemy XIV. She was the last Pharaoh; following her death in 30BC Egypt was ruled by Roman Emperors.
7. This English monarch, having survived an assassination attempt on Constitution Hill, was the first to live in Buckingham Palace; spoke only German as a child; was left-handed, and wrote 100 volumes of diaries spanning almost 70 years.

Answer: Victoria

Known as "Gangan" to her many grandchildren, Victoria was very fond of animals and always had dogs and horses around her, including the first Pekinese dog in the west! Lootie, one of the Chinese Empress's many 'pekes' had been found during the sacking of Peking in 1860 and returned to England as a present for the Queen.
8. According to legend (later made popular by Sir Walter Scott) this Scottish king learned the art of perseverance by sitting in a cave on the island of Rathlin and observing a spider weave its web. True or not, his steadfastness paid off, and he managed, on his seventh attempt, to liberate Scotland.

Answer: Robert I

Born in 1274 in Ayrshire, Robert "the Bruce" spent much of his childhood at the court of England's King Edward I. Having eventually managed to secure Scotland's independence, Robert died of leprosy at the age of 54.
9. Although he ruled England for ten years, this king only paid two brief visits to the country during that time, and then only to raise money for his overseas campaigns. He was fond of music and was said to have written songs with the famous French troubadour, Blondel.

Answer: Richard I

A man of few words, Richard "the Lionheart" spoke little English, only visiting his subjects to see what he could sell to finanace his Third Crusade, apparently even offering to sell London if the price was right!
10. One of the first European monarchs to receive the smallpox innoculation, this Russian ruler, although poor at spelling and grammar, compiled a dictionary of the language as well as writing such fairy tales and plays as "Prince Khlor" and "The Paladin of Misfortune".

Answer: Catherine II

A very intelligent woman, Catherine "the Great" attracted many artists and intellectuals to her court. Having overseen the building of St. Petersburg's Hermitage Palace, she acquired the art collection of England's prime minister, Sir Robert Walpole, to adorn its walls.
Known also for her promiscuity, she was portrayed by the sex symbol of the 1940s, Mae West, in her biographical play "Catherine Was Great". Mae closed each evening's Broadway show with the words "Catherine had 300 lovers. I did the best I could in a couple of hours."!
Source: Author fringe

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