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Richard III Quiz - The Coats They Wore (Questions)

The Coats They Wore looks at the college of arms.

During the War of the Roses each man of rank bore a coat of arms. The origin of these was the need to identify men on the field of battle when their faces were hidden behind visors and helmets. Over time, rules and meanings grew and the art of heraldry was born.

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1. The Yorkist leader, Richard Duke of York, wore the English Royal Coat of Arms with an added Label and Gules. By what right was he entitled to this?
[ ] He was the brother of the king
[ ] He had once been the king
[ ] He was descended from a king
[ ] He had no right
2. One half of Henry VI's Coat of Arms was filled with fleurs-de-lis, the symbol of France. Why was this?
[ ] Henry was the king of France
[ ] Henry was born in France
[ ] Henry's father was French
[ ] Henry liked French food
3. Like that of Richard of York, this shield also displays the Royal Coat of Arms. To whom did it belong?
[ ] The Yorkist, Earl of Lincoln
[ ] The Lancastrian, Earl of Oxford
[ ] The Yorkist, Duke of Richmond
[ ] The Lancastrian, Duke of Somerset
4. The Arms of King Edward IV bear the words: “Honi soit qui mal y pense – shame be to him who thinks evil of it.” This is the motto of which organisation?
[ ] The Order of the Garter
[ ] The Knights Templar
[ ] The Order of the Bath
[ ] The Knights Hospitaller
5. The Arms of Henry VI’s consort, Margaret of Anjou, contain those of her husband and those of her father. Her father had eight noble titles. What were they?
[ ] Five of King, two of Duke and one of Count
[ ] Three of King, three of Duke and two of Count
[ ] One of King, five of Duke and two of Count
[ ] Three of Duke, and five of Count
6. These are the Arms of the ‘kingmaker,’ Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick. The symbols of how many families are shown on the shield?
[ ] Two families
[ ] Three families
[ ] Four families
[ ] Five families
7. The Arms of King Edward V were the same as those of his father, with no personalisation added. Why was this?
[ ] Edward was modest
[ ] Edward was devoted to his father
[ ] Edward died before he reached adulthood
[ ] Edward was not interested in coats of arms
8. The Arms of King Richard III were similar to those of his brother Edward IV, with one difference; the Lions supporting the shield had been replaced by which creatures?
[ ] Hippopotami
[ ] Warthogs
[ ] Walruses
[ ] Boars
9. The Arms of Henry VII are supported by a dragon, symbolising Henry’s Welsh ancestry, and which other animal, a symbol of his wife’s family?
[ ] A whippet
[ ] A greyhound
[ ] A wolf
[ ] A lurcher
10. When Henry VII took the throne he created a new emblem by uniting the Yorkist Rose with the Lancastrian Rose. What name did he give to this new badge?
[ ] English Rose
[ ] New Rose
[ ] Tudor Rose
[ ] Hybrid Rose

 

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Richard III Quiz - The Coats They Wore (Answers)
1. The Yorkist leader, Richard Duke of York, wore the English Royal Coat of Arms with an added Label and Gules. By what right was he entitled to this?
[ ] He was the brother of the king
[ ] He had once been the king
[x] He was descended from a king
[ ] He had no right
Richard inherited the arms of his Grandfather, Edmund of Langley, the first Duke of York, who was the son of King Edward III
2. One half of Henry VI's Coat of Arms was filled with fleurs-de-lis, the symbol of France. Why was this?
[x] Henry was the king of France
[ ] Henry was born in France
[ ] Henry's father was French
[ ] Henry liked French food
Following the victories in France of Henry's father, Henry V, Henry VI was recognised by the French king, Charles VI, as his heir. Henry was crowned King of France in 1431 but following defeats at the hands of his rival, Charles VII, Henry lost the French crown in 1453. It is said that this defeat was the cause of Henry's bouts of madness
3. Like that of Richard of York, this shield also displays the Royal Coat of Arms. To whom did it belong?
[ ] The Yorkist, Earl of Lincoln
[ ] The Lancastrian, Earl of Oxford
[ ] The Yorkist, Duke of Richmond
[x] The Lancastrian, Duke of Somerset
The Duke of Somerset was also a descendant of Edward III and therefore permitted to bear the Royal Arms, just like his Yorkist rival Richard
4. The Arms of King Edward IV bear the words: “Honi soit qui mal y pense – shame be to him who thinks evil of it.” This is the motto of which organisation?
[x] The Order of the Garter
[ ] The Knights Templar
[ ] The Order of the Bath
[ ] The Knights Hospitaller
The Order of the Garter is the oldest and highest Chivalric Order in Great Britain. It was founded by Edward III in the 1340s and still exists today
5. The Arms of Henry VI’s consort, Margaret of Anjou, contain those of her husband and those of her father. Her father had eight noble titles. What were they?
[ ] Five of King, two of Duke and one of Count
[x] Three of King, three of Duke and two of Count
[ ] One of King, five of Duke and two of Count
[ ] Three of Duke, and five of Count
Margaret's father, Rene of Anjou, was Count of both Provence and Piedmont, Duke of Anjou, Bar and Lorraine, and King of Naples, Aragon and Jerusalem!
6. These are the Arms of the ‘kingmaker,’ Richard Neville, the Earl of Warwick. The symbols of how many families are shown on the shield?
[ ] Two families
[ ] Three families
[ ] Four families
[x] Five families
In addition to the Arms of his father's family (the Nevilles) the shield also shows those of his father-in-law (13th Earl of Warwick), his mother-in-law (Dispenser), his mother (Montagu) and also a symbol for Lancaster
7. The Arms of King Edward V were the same as those of his father, with no personalisation added. Why was this?
[ ] Edward was modest
[ ] Edward was devoted to his father
[x] Edward died before he reached adulthood
[ ] Edward was not interested in coats of arms
Edward was never crowned king. Although nobody knows for certain, it is thought that Edward was murdered when he was twelve years old by supporters of Richard III
8. The Arms of King Richard III were similar to those of his brother Edward IV, with one difference; the Lions supporting the shield had been replaced by which creatures?
[ ] Hippopotami
[ ] Warthogs
[ ] Walruses
[x] Boars
Wild boars fight fiercely when cornered, and they give up only when they die; an apt choice of symbol for Richard, given that he was to die in battle, fighting to his bitter end
9. The Arms of Henry VII are supported by a dragon, symbolising Henry’s Welsh ancestry, and which other animal, a symbol of his wife’s family?
[ ] A whippet
[x] A greyhound
[ ] A wolf
[ ] A lurcher
As well as being a symbol of Henry's wife's family, the greyhound is also associated with the family of Henry's mother, the Beauforts
10. When Henry VII took the throne he created a new emblem by uniting the Yorkist Rose with the Lancastrian Rose. What name did he give to this new badge?
[ ] English Rose
[ ] New Rose
[x] Tudor Rose
[ ] Hybrid Rose
Henry’s wife was a member of the House of York and Henry was of Lancaster. Upon his accession to the throne Henry began a new House, the Tudors. His son, Henry VIII, and his grandchildren, Edward IV, Mary I and Elizabeth I came after him