Off with your head! How much do you know about The Tudors?

By: Lenore Brown
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Off with your head! How much do you know about The Tudors?
Image: tmdb

About This Quiz

"The Tudors," a successful television drama about life in the 16th century, featured talented actors and stunning costumes. Are you a total Tudor fan? Let's find out!
What king does "The Tudors" focus on?
King Richard III
King Henry VIII
"The Tudors" focuses on several periods of time in King Henry VIII's life, condensing certain years and character to focus on certain plot lines and story elements. Though some parts are not completely historically accurate, critics did agree the acting was superb. Every effort was also made to ensure the sets and costumes were as ornate and historically accurate as possible.
Edward VII
Louis XIV
Which actor played the role of King Henry VIII?
Eric Bana
Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Jonathan Rhys Meyers played the role of King Henry VIII in "The Tudors" television series. Some critics complained that it was hard to see such a physically fit actor play King Henry, even through to his later years when he was rather portly. However, Meyers chose to act the part with intensity and in a different interpretation than some might have expected. In general, his performances were very intense and full of the passion that King Henry VIII possessed.
Benedict Cumberbatch
Theo James
In what year did "The Tudors" debut?
2001
2010
2007
The Tudors debuted in 2007 and aired until 2010. The show was intended to have a limited 3-4 year span, during which the writers would focus on specific events and time periods in King Henry's life. There were 38 episodes total.
1999

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Which actor played the role of Charles Brandon, Henry's best friend?
Henry Cavill
Henry Cavill played the role of Charles Brandon, King Henry's best friend. The two bicker at times but remain the best of friends, even to the end. Henry Cavill has also starred in many movies, such as "Man of Steel," "Immortals" and "The Man from U.N.C.L.E."
Anthony Brophy
Tom Hanks
Paul Giamatti
Charles Brandon married someone, but the king did not approve. Who did he marry?
Lady Mary Boleyn
Princess Mary Tudor
Princess Margaret
In the series, Charles Brandon gets into a compromising relationship with the king's sister, Margaret. When he marries her, the king is furious because he did not approve such a match. Brandon is known for womanizing, just as the king is. However, King Henry must always have his way and is very upset when he finds out the news that his best friend married his sister.
A common farmgirl
Which actor played the role of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey?
William H. Macy
Jeremy Northam
Simon Ward
Sam Neill
Sam Neill played the role of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the Cardinal was who was Henry's almoner when he became king in 1509. He eventually attained the position of Lord Chancellor and was King Henry's chief adviser for some time, until he was unable to negotiate an annulment of King Henry's marriage to Queen Katherine of Aragon. In real life, he was summoned to face charges of treason but died en route to London of natural causes. However, The Tudors shows him committing suicide in a jail cell. Sam Neill is also known for his role as Dr. Alan Grant in "Jurassic Park."

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Who was King Henry's second wife?
Catherine of Aragon
Catherine Howard
Anne of Cleves
Anne Boleyn
Queen Anne Boleyn was King Henry's second wife. While married to his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, Henry had an affair with Anne Boleyn. While he tired of other mistresses, Anne kept his interest. Henry broke away from the Roman Church to marry Anne, as the Roman Church would not provide the annulment he so desired for his first marriage.
How many legitimate children did King Henry have?
One
Five
Three
King Henry had three legitimate children throughout all of his marriages. It is known that he had at least one illegitimate child during an affair out of wedlock, but according to the laws of the time, that child would not have been considered an heir to the throne. Kings at that time felt pressure to have a male heir to the throne to secure the line of succession.
Seven
How many wives did King Henry have throughout his lifetime?
Two
Four
Six
King Henry VIII had six wives during his lifetime. He was married to his first wife for almost 24 years, and they had one living child together. Catherine was a few years older than Henry, but that didn't seem to matter until she had trouble producing a living male heir. Henry was seduced by Anne Boleyn, which was the beginning of the end of his marriage to Catherine.
Eight

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In season one of "The Tudors," we see King Henry playing what athletic game?
Tennis
In his younger years, King Henry was a very athletic king and enjoyed many active pursuits. In season one, we see Henry as a young man enjoying the sport of tennis with Charles Brandon and his other friends. They also use the opportunity to spot beautiful ladies with whom they would like to associate.
Basketball
Football
Lacrosse
In season one, what title is Henry given by the pope?
Savior of the Weak
Defender of the Faith
King Henry received the title of Defender of the Faith by the pope, after having written a pamphlet against Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation. As a child, Henry was raised to go into the clergy, as he was a second son and was not expected to take the throne. Therefore, he knew a great deal about the church and felt passionate about it.
Lover of All
Almighty Merciful Ruler
What is the name of Anne Boleyn's family home?
Hever Castle
Hever Castle was the family home of Anne Boleyn and is featured in early episodes of The Tudors. It is here that Anne Boleyn spends time with Thomas Wyatt, receives love letters from King Henry, and suffers and recovers from the sweating sickness. In season four, Hever Castle is given to Queen Anne of Cleves when she consents to an annulment of her marriage to Henry.
Whitehall Palace
Hampton Court Palace
Oak Castle

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What is the name of Henry's court painter?
Thomas Cromwell
Hans Holbein
Hans Holbein the Younger was the official court painter during King Henry VIII's reign. He is known for painting the Portrait of Henry VIII, which is one of the most famous paintings of a monarch. This painting shows Henry as a commanding, imposing figure, and looking rather more healthy than he actually was at the time. The original was lost in a fire, but many copies remain.
Edward Seymour
Rosa Middleton
What religious denomination did Queen Catherine Parr adhere to?
Lutheran
Queen Catherine Parr, the last of Henry's six wives, held Protestant beliefs most closely associated with Lutherans. However, because Henry harbored ill will toward Lutherans at this time, she had to be careful how much she revealed. There were enemies at court plotting her downfall, and she came close to going the way of many of Henry's other wives.
Baptist
Catholic
None of the above
Which premium television channel aired "The Tudors"?
HBO
Starz
Showtime
"The Tudors" was produced for the premium cable television channel Showtime. The producers hailed from several countries, and most of the filming was done in Ireland. "The Tudors" premiered in 2007 to the highest ratings Showtime had seen in three years.
Epix

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What is the name of Henry's child with Queen Anne Boleyn?
Princess Mary
Prince Edward
Henry Fitzroy
Princess Elizabeth
Princess Elizabeth was Henry's second legitimate child and his only living child with Queen Anne Boleyn. The series does not focus heavily on Princess Elizabeth's personality or relationship with her father, in comparison to that of Princess Mary. However, there are hints of foreshadowing that Elizabeth will be the greatest monarch of the house of Tudor in English history.
What does Henry call Anne of Cleves, with regard to her appearance?
A Clydesdale
A pig
A Flanders mare
The portrait of Anne of Cleves given to Henry did not accurately depict her appearance. Henry finds himself unable to consummate the marriage and calls her likeness that of a Flanders mare. He demands an annulment and Anne gives it to him without issue.
A large heifer
What is the name of the person with whom Queen Catherine Howard has an affair?
George Boleyn
Sir Thomas More
Thomas Culpepper
Thomas Culpepper served as the king's groom during the time when King Henry was married to Catherine Howard. Thomas and Catherine begin a love affair that ends with both of their deaths when King Henry is told of it. Culpepper is played by Torrance Coombs.
Charles Brandon

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Which of Henry's mistresses was the mother of his acknowledged illegitimate child, Henry Fitzroy?
Elizabeth Blount
Elizabeth Blount, also known as Bessie Blount, was one of the king's mistresses during his marriage to Queen Catherine of Aragon. Their affair of several years produced an illegitimate son named Henry Fitzroy. Though this child was not an heir to the throne, Henry recognized his existence with joy as it proved that he could produce a healthy, living son.
Mary Boleyn
Mary Shelton
Jane Popincourt
One of Henry's wives was played by two different actresses in "The Tudors." Which queen was it?
Queen Anne Boleyn
Queen Jane Seymour
The role of Queen Jane Seymour was played by two different actresses. She was first played by Anita Briem in season two and then Annabelle Wallis in seasons three and four. King Henry liked Queen Jane the best because she provided him with his long-awaited son.
Queen Anne of Cleves
Queen Catherine Howard
What role did Thomas Cromwell play in King Henry's life?
Cromwell was King Henry's brother-in-law
Cromwell was one of King Henry's advisers
Sir Thomas Cromwell was one of King Henry's most trusted and brilliant advisers, after Cardinal Wolsey. His religious leanings were heavily Protestant, particularly Lutheran. Though his arrangement of Henry's marriage to Anne of Cleves ultimately resulted in his downfall, his legacy of the Protestant Reformation in England continued to thrive under Queen Elizabeth of the House of Tudor.
Cromwell was King Henry's manservant
Cromwell was King Henry's secret lover

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What does Sir Thomas More advise King Henry not to do?
Go to war
Sir Thomas More, played by Jeremy Northam, is a devout Christian lawyer and adviser to King Henry. He despises war and tries to advise King Henry not to fight whenever possible, though King Henry doesn't always listen. Though Henry and Thomas were friends, Thomas is later tried for treason and executed due to his Catholic ways and unwillingness to support Henry's religious reform efforts.
Have affairs
Make a treaty with France
Practice Catholic traditions
What does Anne Boleyn do to keep Henry interested in her?
She blackmails him.
She sends him expensive gifts.
She spreads rumors.
She refuses to sleep with him.
Lord Thomas Boleyn, Anne's father, encourages her to seduce the king. She does, but she manages to increase his infatuation with her by refusing to sleep with him unless they are married. This drives Henry mad, as he isn't used to being refused in this way.
What athletic game do King Henry and King Francis play in the Field of Cloth of Gold?
Tennis
Wrestling
King Henry and King Francis are shown as both having large egos. They continue to egg each other on in the Field of Cloth of Gold until Henry challenges Francis to a wrestling match. Unfortunately for Henry, Francis wins the match.
Chess
Archery

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What part of King Henry's appearance later in life, as portrayed by Jonathan Rhys Meyers, was not historically accurate?
His leg injury
His weight
Though he was strong and virile in his younger years, King Henry VIII gained a substantial amount of weight later in life. Critics of "The Tudors" television show noticed the lack of weight gain by actor Jonathan Rhys Meyers. However, the amount that King Henry gained in historical reports was so much that he qualified as obese. This may not have been a good career decision for Mr. Meyers!
His apparel
His shoe size
Which actress from "The Tudors" has also been seen in "Game of Thrones," "Mockingjay" and "The Fades"?
Natalie Dormer
Natalie Dormer played the role of Queen Anne Boleyn and has also been seen in a variety of other well-known movies and television shows. Dormer also hosted a television show looking into the real history of the Tudor dynasty and the various locations mentioned in the show. Some of the buildings are still in existence.
Maria Doyle Kennedy
Sarah Bolger
Emma Hamilton
Who is the composer of the music for "The Tudors"?
Hans Zimmer
Andrea Bocelli
Trevor Morris
Trevor Morris is the composer of the music for "The Tudors," and he won an Emmy award for the main title theme. He also created the music for a similar series called "The Borgias." He is known generally as a film composer and music producer from Canada.
Franz Schubert

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In season one, who was plotting to overthrow Henry?
Sir Thomas More
Thomas Boleyn
Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
Lord Buckingham
Edward Stafford, the third Duke of Buckingham, was one of the few remaining people with substantial Plantagenet blood in his veins. He was appointed to numerous positions within Henry's court but was later found to be plotting to overthrow the king. He was tried and executed on charges of treason.
What are people called when they practice religious behaviors outside of what King Henry has deemed to be the law of the land?
Rejects
Dissenters
Anti-religious activists
Heretics
Heretics were people that were practicing or believing in a different religion or denomination from the one King Henry deemed to be the law of the land. However, it was hard for many citizens in Henry's kingdom to be aligned with what Henry thought was right. After all, he did flip-flop between his preferences in religion and women.
Who was the court's fool?
Will Somers
Will Somer was King Henry's court fool, and the king and his friends often enjoyed the fool's entertainment. After Queen Jane died, Henry secluded himself and spoke to no one but his fool. Sometimes staying away from the real world and the normal everyday routine can be comforting.
Lord Suffolk
Pingrage Darcy
Cardinal Pole

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Which two countries does Henry flip-flop his loyalty between?
France and Spain
Henry often flip-flops between his loyalty to France and Spain. At times, he is at extreme odds with King Francis and about to sign a treaty with Spain. Other times, he is at odds with his first Spanish wife and leans more closely to France.
Germany and France
China and France
Ireland and Spain
What was the name given to King Henry's problem of wanting to divorce Catherine of Aragon?
The Great Matter
The Great Matter was the name given to the issue of Henry wanting a divorce from Catherine of Aragon. At the time, there wasn't really any term to accurately describe the permanent separation that Henry wanted from Catherine. So, courtiers and others referred to the situation as the King's Great Matter.
The Great Divorce Challenge
The Great Dissolution
The Great Division
What trait is often the source of Henry's issues?
Pride
Henry is a very prideful person, and he rarely concedes to anything. It is this pride that may have prevented him from forgiving certain people for their actions, and this pride seems to eat away at Henry. At the end of season four of "The Tudors," Henry appears to have finally let go or stopped caring about maintaining this pride.
Jealousy
Friendliness
Athleticism

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How old was Catherine Howard when Henry married her?
17
King Henry VIII, when he was well into middle age, married Catherine Howard as his fifth wife. She was just 17 years old, but Henry liked her vitality and youth. She later had an affair with Henry's servant, Thomas Culpepper, and was executed.
50
35
25
Which musician played the role of Anne of Cleves?
Avril Lavigne
Gloria Estefan
Joss Stone
Joss Stone played the role of Anne of Cleves in "The Tudors." When King Henry first meets Anne, he is completely turned off by her. Later, though, when he is married to Catherine Howard, he finds Anne of Cleves gracious and pleasing. Perhaps they just tried to be married at the wrong time.
Amy Winehouse
You Got:
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