British Royal Family Quiz 2022: Monarchs Superb Trivia

On Feb. 6, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II became the first British monarch to reign for seven decades. Festivities marking the anniversary will peek in a four-day weekend beginning on Thursday, June 2, with the annual military parade that marks the queen’s 70th coronation anniversary, also known as her “official birthday.” The queen celebrated her 96th birthday.

The Big Ben clock tower in London has been officially known as the Elizabeth Tower since 2012, when it was renamed in honor of the queen’s diamond jubilee. A 5-year silencing of the Big Ben bells for renovation, which started in August 2017, finally ended in summer 2022, according to a New York Times July 3 report.

For the first time in her 70-year reign as queen, Elizabeth II appointed a new prime minister away from Buckingham Palace. Liz Truss became the UK’s Prime Minister in Balmoral Castle, Scotland, on Sept. 6, 2022, where the queen, who suffered from mobility issues during her final days, was taking her summer break.

The Queen’s Death

Queen Elizabeth II died peacefully at Balmoral on Sept. 8, 2022. The Prince of Wales, who was at his mother’s side, became King Charles immediately. The flag at Buckingham Palace was lowered to half-mast at 6.30 pm.

Prince Phillip married the then-young crown princess, Elizabeth,  on Nov. 20, 1947 — he was 26, and she was 21 years old.

Prince Phillip’s death

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, husband of Queen Elizabeth II, and King Charles’s father, died on Apr. 9, 2021, at Windsor Castle in England at the age of 99.

The Great-granddaughter of Queen Elizabeth, Princess Charlotte, is currently third in line to the British throne, behind her grandfather, King Charles, father, William, and elder brother George. Prince William and his wife Kate published three photos of Charlotte, the Royal couple’s daughter, taken by Kate in Norfolk, eastern England, one day before Charlotte turned 7, on May 2, 2022.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle released a photo showing their daughter Lili (Lilibet Diana) celebrating her first birthday in a backyard picnic on June 4, 2022.

Prince Harry and Meghan named their second child, born Friday, May 4, 2021, in California, Lilibet “Lili” Diana Mountbatten-Windsor. The name pays tribute to both Harry’s grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II, whose family nickname is Lilibet, and his late mother, Princess Diana.

Congratulations fact:

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson released a statement Sunday, May 6, 2021, written on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, and Prince William and Kate Middleton. According to the statement,  “The Queen, The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall, and The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been informed and are delighted with the news of the birth of a daughter for The Duke and Duchess of Sussex.” William and Kate subsequently tweeted a supportive message reading, “We are all delighted by the happy news of the arrival of baby Lili. Congratulations to Harry, Meghan, and Archie.”

Princess Diana died at age 36 in a car crash in Paris after her divorce from Prince Charles. 

The news:

Prince Harry, now 36 himself, told Oprah Winfrey that “My biggest concern was history repeating itself,” apparently referring to the death of his mother, Princess Diana. Before the Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved to California, the couple had complained about the British tabloids’ treatment of Meghan. The interview aired on March 7, 2021, on CBS. 

Serving in Britain’s Royal Navy from 1978 to 2001, Prince Andrew was promoted to commander in 1999, two years before retiring from active service. Three years later, he was made an Honorary Captain. On his 50th birthday, in 2010, he was promoted to Rear Admiral. Five years later, he was promoted to Vice-Admiral – his final military rank. 

Why did Prince Andrew return his military affiliations?

Prince Andrew has returned his military affiliations and royal patronages to Queen Elizabeth II on Jan. 13, 2022, after his lawyers failed to convince a U.S. judge to dismiss a civil sexual abuse lawsuit. By Jan. 19, the Duke of Cambridge had also deleted all of his social media accounts. Prince Andrew had a close relationship with the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and his partner, Ghislaine Maxwell, who was found guilty of five federal sex trafficking charges in Dec. 2021.

King Charles was born on November 14, 1948, making him 74 in May 2023, the month of his coronation.

Kate Middleton, AKA Catherine, The Princess of Wales, was born on Jan. 9, 1982 – making her 41 in 2023.

How did the Princess celebrate?

The Royal Family’s official Twitter and Instagram accounts shared a post on Jan. 9, 2023, to celebrate Kate Middleton’s 41st birthday. “Wishing The Princess of Wales a very Happy Birthday today!” they wrote, along with a birthday cake emoji.

Last year, when she was still the Duchess of Cambridge, she released three new portraits of herself, taken by acclaimed fashion photographer Paolo Roversi, to mark her 40th birthday.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, the first son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, was born on June 21, 1982, making him 40 in 2022. A photo of Prince William smiling with his children in Jordan was released on Twitter on June 19, just two days before the royal birthday, to celebrate Father’s Day.

On June 4, 2022, Queen Elizabeth II appeared in a pre-recorded comic sketch with Paddington Bear ahead of a pop concert outside Buckingham Palace – marking her platinum Jubilee as a queen. Paddington Bear first appeared in October 1958 in the children’s book A Bear Called Paddington and has been featured in over twenty books written by British author Michael Bond.

King Charles I was the only British monarch whose rule led to the temporary abolition of the monarchy.

What Happened?

The English Civil War broke out after the king attempted to arrest lawmakers in the House of Commons in 1642, leading to the parliamentary forces of Oliver Cromwell taking rule of the kingdom. King Charles I was convicted of high treason and beheaded in 1649 in the street near Parliament. The “merry monarch” was his son, the dog-loving King Charles II, after whom King Charles Spaniel is named.

The queen’s coffin’s final destination is Windsor Castle, in the King George VI Memorial Chapel. Prince Philip’s coffin joined the queen’s in the memorial chapel. St. George’s Chapel has long been the final resting place for British royals, and 10 former monarchs, including the queen’s mother and father, are buried there.

King Charles III’s monogram was revealed on Sept. 27, 2022. The monogram features the King’s initial C, R for Rex (Latin for a king,) and III for Charles III. The King selected it from designs produced by the College of Arms for use on Britain’s state documents and post boxes. This symbol replaces the E II R of Queen Elizabeth II.

Windsor Castle is the oldest occupied castle in the world. It dates back to the 11th century. When the British monarch’s residence burned in 1992, the fire destroyed 115 rooms and cost 35 million pounds to repair. On Nov. 9, 2022, The Crown’s fifth season premiered on Netflix, depicting the 90’s royal family and the famous fire. Watch the trailer.

A new cipher for Camilla, the Queen Consort, was unveiled on Nov. 8, 2022, by Buckingham Palace. The symbol combines Camilla’s initial, C, and R for Regina, the Latin word for queen, and will appear on Camilla’s letterheads, cards, and gifts. King Charles III’s coronation will occur at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023, and the Queen Consort will be crowned alongside him.

Kate and William began their first overseas visit since Queen Elizabeth II’s death on Nov. 30, 2022, with a reception at Boston City Hall and a Celtics game. The Earthshot Prize was awarded in Boston as part of the prince’s global campaign to tackle climate change on Dec. 2.

St Edward’s Crown has been used in England to crown monarchs since the coronation of King Charles II in 1661. Normally part of the Tower of London’s Crown Jewels display, the crown was modified for King Charles III’s coronation at Westminster Abbey on May 6, 2023.

In two sections of three episodes, the Netflix series ‘Harry and Meghan,’ released on Dec. 8, 2022, and Dec. 15, has a 15 maturity rating (in the UK), with the Netflix series warning it deals with “discrimination.” Watch the trailer.