Image: Wiki Commons by Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya
About This Quiz
Familiarize yourself with more than just majestic birthdays and weddings of the world's royals in this monarch mission. Great Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and her band of blood-line dignitaries are not the only potentates of note. Just about every inch of Europe was ruled by a czar, a prince, a grand duke or a queen at one time or another. And they are all related, for the most part. We won't burden you with facts about royal emblems or reigning houses in this quiz. Simply identify the faces in the images to score royally.
More obscure royal European lineages are covered here. That includes the monarchies of Bulgaria, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies and Prussia. As you can see by these regional names, we don't limit quiz subjects to present-day sovereigns or even recent ones. No need to worry if your history wisdom is a tad shallow, though. We'll fill that up with some amazing intel on the royals. You'll discover family secrets and bizarre-but-true nonfiction that'll have you bowing over!ÂÂ
Of course, the more popular crown-wearers are fiercely represented, but again, not without their juicy info. Ever wonder why Queen Victoria, Elizabeth II's great-great-grandmama, secured the English throne although she was born fifth in line to receive it?
Take this quiz to find out how Victoria did that!
Wiki Commons by Paul Hermans
Do you recognize the eldest child of Queen Paola and King Albert II?
Louis IX, France
George IV, England
George I, Greece
Philippe, Belgium
In March 2019, King Philippe of Belgium attended a summit with South Korea President Moon Jae-in to discuss mutual cooperation in the areas of science and technology. King Philippe was the first king of Belgium to visit South Korea in 27 years.
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Can you ID this tsar who declared war on Serbia and Greece?
Ferdinand I, Bulgaria
Bulgaria, Montenegro, Serbia and Greece had joined forces against the Ottoman Empire during the first Balkan War of 1912. When Bulgarian allies refused to withdraw from disputed territories, Tsar Ferdinand I of Bulgaria started the Second Balkan war of 1913 by declaring war on Serbia and Greece.
Francis II, Italy
Karl I, Liechtenstein
Albert, Monaco
Wiki Commons by Johannes Jansson / norden.org
Friends and family refer to her as Daisy. What do you call her?
Charles III John, Norway
Margrethe II, Denmark
Denmark's Margrethe II secured the throne in January 1972 after her father passed away due to illness. In her youth, Margrethe II studied economics and political science at Cambridge, London, Paris and Copenhagen universities.
Pedro V, Portugal
Louise I, Spain
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Cannons boomed, bells tolled and fireworks exploded in the Place d'Armes at the time of whose birth?
Louis XVI, France
Louis XVI also experienced a ceremonious end by guillotine. The National Convention convicted the French monarch of treason on January 21, 1793 during the French Revolution. His son, Louis XVIII, was imprisoned in a fortified monastery in Paris soon thereafter.
Oscar I, Sweden
Leopold II, Belgium
George I, England
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Historians have suggested that losing the American Revolutionary War drove him insane. Have you figured out his identity?
Constantine I, Greece
Christian X, Iceland
Francis I, Italy
George III, England
George III of England ruled from 1760 to 1820 and was the last English monarch to preside over the American colonies. In 1775, King George officially declared that the American colonies had rebelled.
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Who was the last king of his European country before it abolished the monarchy in the '70s?
Johann I Joseph, Liechtenstein
Charlotte, Monaco
Constantine II, Greece
Constantine II was 24 when he married 18-year-old Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark. Three years later, in 1967, the royals were exiled in England, which lasted for four decades. In 1974, Greece abolished the monarchy and seized all royal assets.
William II, Netherlands
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Identify this European monarch who married the pious Princess Maria Cristina of Savoy?
Manuel II, Portugal
Albert I, Belgium
Ferdinand II, Italy
Ferdinand II secured the throne on November 8, 1830. Pope Francis beatified his wife Princess Maria Cristina, called Reginella Santa by her subjects, on January 25, 2014. Ferdinand II was nicknamed "Re Bomba" after he suppressed a revolt in Sicily in 1848.
Louis-Philippe, France
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Guess the reigning prince of a 15.5-mile-long European country?
Hans-Adam II, Liechtenstein
Hans-Adam II of Liechtenstein is one of the world's 500 richest people. He resides in a cliffside castle and owns two palatial estates in Vienna. The prince ascended to the throne in 1989.
George V, England
Hans-Adam I, Liechtenstein
Oscar I, Norway
Wiki Commons by Igor Zeiger
He became the sixth grand duke since 1890. Have you figured out who it is?
Luis I, Portugal
Henri, Luxembourg
At the age of 45, Crown Prince Henri was sworn in as monarch of Luxembourg in October 2000. The royal assumed power dressed in full military attire after his father, Grand Duke Jean, stepped down after 36 years. He is shown here with his son Felix in New York during a 2013 United Nations session.
Ferdinand VII, Spain
Charles XV, Sweden
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Which royal got married in the same room as his parents?
George II, England
Albert II, Monaco
Prince Albert II of Monaco married Charlene Lynette Wittstock, a South African Olympic swimmer, on July 22, 2011. The couple married in a ceremony held in the same room that the prince's parents, Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III, had married in 55 years earlier.
Alexander, Greece
William III, Netherlands
Wiki Commons by Gerben van Es / Ministerie van Defensie
He assumed power after his mom Beatrix completed a 33-year reign?
Charles X, France
Willem-Alexander, Netherlands
In 2013, Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands became the first king of the country in 120 years. Celebrants gathered in Amsterdam's Dam Square, which was decorated in the royal color orange, to welcome the new king.
Edward VII, England
Franz Joseph II, Liechtenstein
Wiki Commons by Lars Larsson
Who is this face of a brand of sardines?
Oscar II, Norway and Sweden
King Oscar II of Norway and Sweden granted the Norwegian sardine canning company King Oscar "special royal permission" to use his name and likeness on the company's products. The producers catch wild sardines in the Norwegian fjords and the North Sea.
Charles IV, Norway
Carlos I, Portugal
Alfonso XII, Spain
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Choose the monarch responsible for authorizing a mass smallpox vaccination expedition in his New World colonies?
Oscar II, Sweden
Charles IV, Spain
The mint in Spain was slow in shipping Spanish currency off to New World colonies during the 18th century. During the delay, a Mexico City mint used the likeness of King Charles III, who died in 1789, with the legend Charles IV until 1791.
William IV, England
George II, Greece
Wiki Commons by Bengt Nyman
Guess who learned to cope with his dyslexia?
Wilhelmina, Netherlands
Carl XVI Gustaf, Sweden
Carl XVI Gustaf was born the youngest child of Princess Sibylla and Prince Gustaf Adolf on April 30, 1946 at Haga Palace near Stockholm. Carl Gustaf's parents were both descendants of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Great Britain.
Francis I, France
George VI, England
Wiki Commons by the Dutch National Archives
Do you identify the monarch who struggled to unite the country's Flemish and French speakers?
Baudouin, Belgium
King Baudouin of Belgium reigned for 42 years before his death at the age of 62. He was born September 7, 1930 the second of three children of Swedish-born Queen Astrid and King Leopold III.
Harald V, Norway
Felipe VI, Spain
Gustaf V, Sweden
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In July 2001, a European principality got its deposed king back. Who made a comeback?
Louis XIII, France
Anne, England
Simeon II, Bulgaria
Simeon II of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha accepted the role as Bulgaria's prime minister in July 2001. Prior to being deposed, the Bulgarian Parliament declared Simeon king after his father Boris III mysteriously died after meeting with Hitler in 1943.
Charles II, Spain
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Try to guess the name of this World War II legend?
Gustaf V, Sweden
Henry IV, France
Christian X, Denmark
After Germany invaded Denmark on April 9, 1940, King Christian X refused to fly the German flag over the Danish capitol building. It is alleged that he once wore the yellow star that Nazis required the Jews of Denmark to wear to identify themselves.
Philip V, Spain
Wiki Commons by Agence photographique de la Réunion des musées nationaux
Guess who was largely responsible for April Fool's Day?
Charles XVI Gustaf, Sweden
Henry III, France
Charles IX, France
Thanks to King Charles IX, in 1564 France was the first country to make January 1 the first calendar day of the year instead of what it had been previously, April 1. Anyone who celebrated New Year's Day on or near April 1 was regarded as an April Fool.
Philip V, Spain
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Quickly select the monarch instrumental in breaking up the Holy Roman Empire and unifying the German states?
Charles XVI Gustaf, Sweden
Henry IV, France
Philip IV, Spain
Frederick II, Prussia
Known as "Frederick the Great," Frederick II was born in Berlin in the Kingdom of Prussia on January 24, 1712. Frederick was the first to assail the Austrian Empire for territories after the death of Charles II. Frederick seized control of Silesia in seven weeks.
Wiki Commons by National Media Museum
Guess who enjoyed a spectacular exit from office in 1936?
Louis XV, France
Ferdinand VI, Spain
Edward VIII, England
Edward VIII chose to renounce the throne over his choice of a marriage partner. Edward chose to marry American divorcee, two times over, Wallis Simpson, who is famous for the phrase, "You can never be too rich or too thin." They are shown here on their Mediterranean holiday in 1936.
Louis XVIII, France
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Do you remember this European royal who spent $50 million of his own fortune on a small country?
Charles III, Spain
Philippe, Belgium
Ferdinand I, Bulgaria
Johann II, Liechtenstein
Portions of the monetary gifts offered by Johann II of Liechtenstein went to charity and establishing an art gallery. The European monarch was dubbed "John the Good" and was considered the most generous of all the Liechtensteins.
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Is it a challenge for you to guess this fourth king of a nation?
Ferdinand I, Bulgaria
Margrethe, Denmark
Leopold III, Belgium
Leopold III agreed to abdicate the throne in favor of his son Baudouin because of his World War II ties with Nazi Germany. Leopold was criticized for capitulating to Germany 18 days after its armies invaded Belgium in 1940.
Louis XVI, France
Wiki Commons by Voka Kamer van Koophandel Limburg
Can you identify the king who abdicated his throne in 2013?
Frederick II, Prussia
George III, England
Albert II, Belgium
On July 21, 2013, Albert II of Belgium abdicated the throne after a 20-year reign. The monarch, who was approaching his eightieth birthday at the time, cited health and age concerns when addressing his constituency about his departure. Albert's son, Philippe, took over as king.
Constantine II, Greece
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What European monarch is credited for saving Jews during World War II?
Boris III, Bulgaria
During World War II, Boris III of Bulgaria defied Hitler by rejecting the Nazi ruler's request to deliver troops to the Russian front, and he refused to deport Jews. Boris ascended to the throne in 1918 after his father, Ferdinand I of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha fled the country after a World War I defeat.
Ferdinand II, Italy
Hans-Adam II, Liechtenstein
Henri, Luxembourg
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Try to pick the royal dubbed "father-in-law of Europe"?
Albert II, Monaco
Christian IX, Denmark
The mother of Christian IX, Queen Maud, was the youngest daughter of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra of England. Christian was the grandfather of Greece's Prince Andrew, and Empress Maria Fedorovna was his daughter and the mother of Nicholas II of Russia.
Willem-Alexander, Netherlands
Oscar II, Norway
Wiki Commons by George Grantham Bain Collection (Library of Congress)
Who started an Icelandic tradition?
Charles IV, Spain
Frederick VIII, Denmark
At Iceland's Thingvellir National Park, people make wishes and toss coins into a water crevice known as Peningagje, or "money fissure," ever since Frederick VIII deposited a coin in the fissure in 1907. Scavengers of the crevice have dug up coins, as well as some credit cards that are still valid.
Carl XVI Gustaf, Sweden
Leopold III, Belgium
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How easy is it for you to select the monarch who loved music?
Boris III, Bulgaria
Frederick IX, Denmark
Scholars have asserted that Frederick IX was instrumental in persuading U.S. General Douglas MacArthur to not prosecute Emperor Hirohito of war crimes in 1946. Frederick and other royals believed that keeping Hirohito in power would dissuade civil strife in Japan and the spread of Communism.
Christian IX, Denmark
Charles IX, France
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Wiki Commons by Joel Rouse / Ministry of Defence
How well do you know the eldest daughter of King George VI?
Elizabeth II, England
In 2015, Elizabeth II surpassed Queen Victoria as the longest-reigning British royal in the history of the country. Elizabeth gave birth to Princess Anne and Prince Charles while she was still a princess. The current-day British queen ascended to the throne on February 6, 1952.
Edwina VIII, England
Paulette, Greece
Johanna II, Liechtenstein
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________ proposed to Queen Frederica while he was in Berlin for the Summer Olympics in 1936?
Jonathan, Luxembourg
Julius, Netherlands
Haakon VII, Norway
Paul, Greece
King Paul gave the opening speech at the First World Conference on World Peace Through Law held in Athens, Greece in 1963. Over 100 nations were represented at the conference, the primary aim of which was to revise international law so that it might help maintain world peace.
Wiki Commons by Kroon, Ron / Anefo
Is it difficult to name the royal who was part of the Nassau dynasty?
Jean, Luxembourg
Jean of Luxembourg reigned between 1964 and 2000. His eldest son Henri took the throne when he stepped down. Jean married Princess Josephine-Charlotte of Belgium, eldest sister of King Baudoin, on April 9, 1953.
Juan Carlos, Spain
Charles XIV John, Sweden
Baudouin, Belgium
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Who spent most of her retired years in seclusion?
Juliana, Netherlands
Juliana Louise Emma Marie Wilhelmina reigned in the Netherlands for 32 years. She was born on April 30, 1909 to Duke Henry Vladimir Ernst of Mecklenburg-Schwerin and Queen Wilhelmina.
Frederick VIII
Elizabeth II, England
Beatrix, Netherlands
Wiki Commons by RVD Koninklijk Huis
Choose the European queen who abdicated the throne in 2013?
Olav V, Norway
Sofia, Spain
Albert II, Belgium
Beatrix, Netherlands
During Queen Beatrix's reign on Queen's Day, thousands of Dutch citizens, including the queen, participated in a round of games, such as soap box racing and tug-of-war. Her son, Willem-Alexander, also honored the queen on that day by partaking in a toilet-bowl-tossing competition.
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What European monarch ran away at the age of 17 to join an infantry regiment as a commoner?
Christian X, Portugal
Charles XIV John, Sweden and Norway
Born Jean Baptiste Bernadotte, Charles XIV John ascended the French military ranks to become marshal of France and secured the prince Ponte Corvo title when Napoleon became emperor of France. In 1818 at 55, Bernadotte was crowned Charles XIV John, king of Sweden and Norway.
Queen Victoria, England
Alfonso XIII, Spain
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In 1931, who escaped his country as the nation transitioned to being a republic?
Frederick IX, Denmark
Alfonso XIII, Spain
General Francisco Franco seized power in Spain at the start of the Spanish Civil War, which signaled the end of the country's republic rule. Grandson of Alfonso XIII, Juan Carlos I, later secured the throne under Spain's constitutional monarchy that's in place today.
Leopold I, Belgium
Louis IX, France
Wiki Commons by Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga
Historians report that ________ demonstrated extreme behavior?
George IV, England
George I, Greece
Sebastian, Portugal
Sebastian of Portugal subjected himself to severe self-discipline exercises that included swimming, weapons use and spiritual rituals. After a plague outbreak forced him out of Lisbon, he ventured to Alcobaca and Sintra, where he demanded to inspect the bones of the kings of the House of Avis.
Francis II, Italy
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Who did the United Nations declared was instrumental in Spain's democracy transition?
Juan Carlos, Spain
Juan Carlos of Spain is considered a symbol of reconciliation from internal strife caused by the Spanish Civil War that occurred between 1936 and 1939. His father, Don Juan, was designated pretender to the Spanish throne during the reign of General Francisco Franco.
Karl I, Liechtenstein
Albert I, Monaco
William I, Netherlands
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Are you aware of King Juan Carlos's wife?
Charlotte III John, Norway
Pedra V, Portugal
Louise I, Spain
Sofia, Spain
Queen Sofia of Spain married then-Prince Juan Carlos in Athens on May 14, 1962. She is the daughter of King Paul of Greece and Frederica of Hanover. Sofia was born in the Greek capital city on November 2, 1938.
Wiki Commons by Library of Congress
Determine the first king of a modern European nation?
Haakon VII, Norway
King Haakon VII, first known as Prince Carl of Denmark, secured Norway's throne in 1905. Prior to this, Norway was unified with Sweden from 1814 to 1905 and with Denmark between 1381 and 1814.
Oscar I, Sweden
Leopold II, Belgium
George I, England
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Tell us who acknowledged a 1973 energy crisis by taking a public tram instead of using his car?
Constantine I, Greece
Christian X, Iceland
Francis I, Italy
Olav V, Norway
Christened Alexander Edward Christian Frederick, Olav V of Norway was born July 2, 1903 in England to Princess Maud and King Haakon VII. Haakon gave his son the name Olav in honor of Viking rulers.
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She ruled England from 1837 to 1901. Name this European monarch?
Johann I Joseph, Liechtenstein
Charlotte, Monaco
Victoria, England
In 1819, Queen Victoria of England was born fifth in line for the throne. She became queen on June 20, 1837 as a result of deaths and heirs who produced no children. Victoria reigned until her death in 1901 at the age of 81.
William II, Netherlands
You Got:
/40
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