Take the Throne for This British Monarchs Quiz

Britain’s most senior order of chivalry (or knighthood), the Order of the Garter, was inspired by Edward III’s interest in medieval tales. Today, the order is limited to the sovereign, select royal family members, and 24 knights or ladies selected for contributions to public service, including former prime ministers. The order is celebrated each June with grand Garter Day ceremonies at Windsor Castle.

Victoria married Albert in February 1840, at London’s St. James's Palace. Before the wedding, Albert gifted Victoria a piece of gold orange blossom jewelry, a nod to the blossom’s link to both chastity and marriage. In honor of Albert’s gift, Victoria wore orange blossoms in her hair in place of a tiara. Victoria’s wedding look — including a white wedding dress, unusual for the era — has influenced brides ever since.

When Edward the Confessor died in 1066, a group of nobles named Harold II his heir. A French duke, William of Normandy, invaded England to press his own claim to the throne. William defeated Harold at the Battle of Hastings, which ended Anglo-Saxon rule. William the Conqueror and the Normans introduced new architecture, customs, laws, and language, forever transforming England.

Named the “Penny Black,” this stamp made its debut in May 1840. It was the world’s first adhesive postage stamp used by a public mailing system. The simple stamp featured an illustration of Queen Victoria's profile against a black background, along with the words “postage” and “one penny.” Following this tradition, all British stamps incorporate an image of the reigning monarch.

The Prince of Wales title was first bestowed in 1301 by Edward I, as a means to secure his control over the recently conquered Welsh kingdom. It’s been used for nearly all male heirs since, most recently granted to Prince Charles. His investiture as Prince of Wales was held in Caernarfon Castle in 1969 in a televised ceremony watched by an estimated 519 million global viewers.

The nickname “Grandmother of Europe” was quite literal, due to Victoria and Albert’s nine children and many grandchildren who went on to marry into royal European households. Victoria’s own children married into the royal houses of Prussia, Denmark, Russia, Schleswig-Holstein, Waldeck, and Battenberg. Her grandchildren include German Emperor Wilhelm II, Queen Sophie of Greece, Czarina Alexandra of Russia (wife of Czar Nicholas II), and Queen Victoria Eugenie of Spain.

Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor was born on April 21, 1926, to the Duke and Duchess of York. Her father would later become King George VI. Elizabeth was born into the royal house of Windsor, making her last name Windsor, though it is rarely used. In 1917, her grandfather King George V changed his house's name from Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor and designated Windsor as the official family surname of his descendants.

Mary II’s younger sister, Queen Anne, was the last Stuart monarch and the first monarch to rule over the United Kingdom of Great Britain. Her friendships with Sarah Churchill, the Duchess of Marlborough, and her cousin, Abigail Masham, were the inspiration for “The Favourite,” a satire that explored Anne’s complicated and controversial relationships with the women. Olivia Colman won an Oscar for her royal role as Anne, opposite Rachel Weisz as Churchill, and Emma Stone as Masham.

Albert Edward “Bertie,” Victoria’s oldest son, became King Edward VII upon his mother’s death in 1901. He reigned until May 6, 1910, when he died at the age of 68. As the heir apparent, Bertie grew up with strict educational requirements and, despite dreams of a military career, was not allowed to join the army. The future king undertook public duties during his mother’s reign, acting as her deputy from 1898 on. Upon his death, his son George (King George V) took the throne.

In 1688, three years after becoming king, James II was overthrown amid constant clashes with Parliament over royal power and religion. James’ official heir was his Catholic son, but Parliament moved to install his eldest daughter, the Protestant Mary, instead. In the Glorious (or Bloodless) Revolution, Mary and her Dutch husband, William of Orange, took the throne in a joint monarchy.

Only one of the eight attempts upon her life harmed the namesake of Britain’s Victorian era. After she was hit in the head with a cane by Robert Pate, a disgruntled former soldier, Queen Victoria sustained a welt, a long-lasting scar, and a black eye. The tough, but well-liked, queen made a diplomatic appearance just two hours later to show she wouldn’t be intimidated.

After Elizabeth I died childless, the House of Tudor came to an end and James Stuart was crowned James I of England. James Stuart was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and the great-great-grandson of Henry VII, king of England and lord of Ireland. This made James heir to all three British thrones and united the crowns of England and Scotland for the first time, heralding the start of the Stuart era.

Victoria’s mother was Princess Victoria Saxe-Saalfield-Coburg of Germany, and her father was Prince Edward, Duke of Kent and Strathearn. She was the royal couple’s only child and was fifth in line to the throne at the time of her birth. After the deaths of her uncles and father, however, there were no other surviving legitimate heirs, making her the heir apparent. Her royal lineage came from her paternal grandfather, King George III, but her mother’s family was royalty as well. Her mother’s brother was Leopold, king of the Belgians.

Answer: On June 2, 1953, Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation was watched by 27 million people in the U.K. and millions more worldwide as the first-ever televised coronation. Like all of Britain’s coronations since 1066, it was held at Westminster Abbey in London. The event, attended by 8,251 guests, lasted for three hours. The procession alone included 250 members of the church, the royal household, and government officials. Representatives from 129 nations and territories were present at the coronation, making it an international affair.

On April 23, 1924, George V addressed the crowd at the opening of the British Empire Exhibition at London’s Wembley Park (later Wembley Stadium). The exhibition was designed to showcase Britain’s might with objects and artifacts from its far-flung empire. The speech was the first live radio broadcast made by a British ruler and is also the earliest surviving recording of any British radio broadcast.

The Magna Carta was the first charter to put down in writing that the king and his government were not above the law. It was signed by King John of England on June 15, 1215, in an effort to bring an end to a political crisis caused by a dispute with rebel barons. Although neither side stuck to the agreement, the Magna Carta is recognized as a key milestone in the development of English law.

In 1485, Henry Tudor defeated Richard III at the Battle of Bosworth Field, ending the Wars of the Roses. To secure his somewhat-shaky claim to the English throne, Henry married Richard’s niece Elizabeth of York, uniting the Tudor and Plantagenet families. The dynasty lasted through five monarchs, ending when the childless Elizabeth I died in 1603.

On June 13, 1842, Queen Victoria became the first British ruler to ride on a passenger train, which traveled from Slough in Berkshire to London Paddington. Victoria wrote in her diary that it was “delightful.” Queen Elizabeth II recreated this train ride for its 175th anniversary in 2017.

Buckingham Palace has been the official London royal residence since Queen Victoria moved there in 1837. George III bought the property, then known as Buckingham House, from the Duke of Buckingham in 1761, as a home for his large family with his wife, Charlotte. George’s son George IV greatly expanded it, and Victoria and her heirs continued the expansion, until it became the sprawling royal Buckingham Palace of today.

Henry VIII married his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, in 1509. She had previously been married to his older brother Arthur for five months before he died. Henry and Catherine were seemingly happily married for over 15 years until Henry set his sights on Anne Boleyn. His and Catherine's subsequent divorce led to the break between England and the Catholic Church and made Henry the head of the Church of England.