Crowning Moments

A coronation quiz. Email the answers to info@walkinglondonhistory. com

  1. Which crown is this?

2. Which king’s head was allegedly full of lice when he was crowned?

3. On which king’s head did the Archbishop of Canterbury place the crown back to front?

4. Which king’s queen simply refused to take part in the coronation?

5. Which king’s queen insisted on taking part but was turned away at the door of the Abbey?

6. Which 17th century king abandoned the traditional pre-coronation procession but spent £100,000 on his queen’s jewels and dresses? (that is £100,000 in ‘old money’ not current values-it is an enormous amount)

7. At which coronation did the invited king of Scotland and his nobles free all their horses to be claimed by anyone who could catch them?

8. At whose coronation did the king’s guard outside the Abbey panic on hearing the shouts of acclamation from within, and set fire to local buildings, thinking an insurrection was taking place?

9. Which writer was one of James II’s canopy bearers?

10. Which coronation had to be delayed for the performance of a crucial medical operation?

Last week’s post featuring the King’s Champions asked which coronation featured a piebald horse borrowed from a circus, and asked which statesman accompanied the King’s champion into the hall. The answer was the coronation of George IV and the statesman in question was the Duke of Wellington