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Monday 28 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Royal Jubilees of the 19th/Early 20th Centuries?

How Well Do You Know...Royal Jubilees of the 19th/Early 20th Centuries? (The answers to the previous quiz are below)
1. Which territories were annexed by Austria-Hungary in celebration of Franz Josef’s Diamond Jubilee?
2. Where did the Royal Family attend a service of Thanksgiving for George III’s Golden Jubilee?
3. Why did Queen Victoria initially decide not to invite her grandson, Wilhelm of Prussia, to her Golden Jubilee celebrations? (She later relented.)
4. What jubilee did the Romanovs celebrate in 1913?
5. Whom, at the time of a Silver Jubilee, did Andrew Carnegie describe as ‘anxious for peace and the progress of the world’?
6. When were the first stamps celebrating a royal jubilee issued?
7. Who said, after celebrating a jubilee, “No one ever, I believe, has met with such an ovation as was given to me, passing through those six miles of streets… The crowds were quite indescribable and their enthusiasm truly marvellous and deeply touching.”
8. Why did Queen Victoria not celebrate her Silver Jubilee?
9. In 1911 Prince Arthur of Connaught represented George V at the celebrations of which country’s jubilee of the nation’s unity?
10. Who described Emperor Franz Josef as ‘a noble ruler, true ally, and mighty guardian of peace’ at his Diamond Jubillee?
11. Which people of Franz Josef’s empire refused to participate in his jubilee pageant, and why?
12. What other – more personal – event did Kaiser Wilhelm II celebrate in his Silver Jubilee year?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Counting-House-Christina-Croft-ebook/dp/B00368B6R4/ref=la_B002BMCQQ6_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451290407&sr=1-13
How Well Do You Know...What Happened When in Royal Events of the 19th/Early 20th Centuries?
1. Who was married on 25th January 1858?
Vicky and Fritz of Prussia
2. Why was the date 10th February so important to Queen Victoria?
It was her wedding day.
3. Why, relating to her birthday, was Queen Victoria’s Connaught granddaughter named Patricia?
She was born on the feast of St Patrick
4. Who was born on April 25th 1843?
Alice
5. On what date was Queen Victoria born?
24 May 1819
6. Who celebrated his fourteenth and final wedding anniversary on June 28th 1914?
Franz Ferdinand
7. Who was married on July 6th 1893?
George V (then Duke of York)
8. Who was born on August 26th 1819?
Prince Albert
9.  Which of the Kaiser’s sons died on September 22nd 1948?
Adalbert
10. Which of Queen Victoria’s grandsons was born on 15th October 1874?
Alfred
11. Which two of Queen Victoria’s children were born in November?
Vicky & Bertie
12. Why did Queen Victoria call 14th December the ‘terrible 14th’?
It was the date of Albert’s death

Saturday 26 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...What Happened When in Royal Events of the 19th/Early 20th Centuries?

As the year is drawing to a close, this quiz is based on a calendar of events for each month of the year (the answers to the previous quiz are below):
 
How Well Do You Know...What Happened When in Royal Events of the 19th/Early 20th Centuries?
 
1. Who was married on 25th January 1858?
 
2. Why was the date 10th February so important to Queen Victoria?
 
3. Why, relating to her birthday, was Queen Victoria’s Connaught granddaughter named Patricia?
 
4. Who was born on April 25th 1843?
 
5. On what date was Queen Victoria born?
 
6. Who celebrated his fourteenth and final wedding anniversary on June 28th 1914?
 
7. Who was married on July 6th 1893?
 
8. Who was born on August 26th 1819?
 
9.  Which of the Kaiser’s sons died on September 22nd 1948?
 
10. Which of Queen Victoria’s grandsons was born on 15th October 1874?
 
11. Which two of Queen Victoria’s children were born in November?
 
12. Why did Queen Victoria call 14th December the ‘terrible 14th’?
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Goose-Girl-Christina-Croft/dp/1515016579/ref=la_B002BMCQQ6_1_10_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1451130096&sr=1-10
 
 
 
 
How Well Do You Know...Royal Animals of the 19th/Early 20th century?
 
1. Which favourite dog died in 1844?
 
Eos
 
2. Which little dog did Queen Victoria ask for on her deathbed?
 
Turi
 
3. How did Prince Alice’s little bullfinch meet his end?
 
His cage was not fastened and another bird came in and killed him.
 
4. What breed of dog was Tsarevich Alexei’s Joy?
 
Spaniel
 
5. Who was given a present of a lamb named Millie?
 
Princess Alice
 
6. What was the name of Queen Victoria’s dog, which she hurried home to bathe after her coronation?
 
Dash
 
7. What was the name of Edward VII’s dog, that followed his coffin at his funeral?
 
Caesar
 
8. Which of Franz Ferdinand’s pets escaped from the Belvedere Palace and caused him a good deal of embarrassment?
 
His parrot
 
9. What sort of creature was Lory, given to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert’s father?
 
A parrot
 
10. Who presented Queen Victoria with a pair of Tibetan goats on her accession?
 
The Shah of Persia
 
11. Which animals did Edward VII, when Prince of Wales, give to Harriet Mordaunt, whose husband subsequently shot them?
 
Two ponies
 
12. What sort of animal was Queen Victoria Jacquot?
 
A donkey

Wednesday 23 December 2015

The Christmas Spirit

This is my poem for Christmas...It speaks of the image of God in all the creatures of creation, and is called 'The Christmas Spirit':

I saw the Christmas spirit in an image of the past,
In a stable warm and sheltered from the winter’s icy blast,
When the shepherds trudged at midnight through the pastures bleak and wild
To behold that God is with us in the clear eyes of a child.


And all the Christmases since then and not so long ago,
When we ran together laughing through a childhood in the snow,
When we hung our hopeful stockings and we listened for the sleigh,
And we knew that God is with us in the joy of Christmas Day.

I saw the Christmas spirit in an image of our time,
When the world grew dark and fearful, filled with violence and crime,
When the holy Child of Bethlehem, who came to set us free,
Hung battered, broken, dying on a hill called Calvary.

And I saw the busy people rushing through the crowded shops,
When the homeless called, “Big Issue!” but they had no time to stop;
With ten thousand turkeys slaughtered as we celebrate the birth
Of the son of the creator of all creatures on the earth.

Then I saw the Christmas spirit in a dream of what might be
When we recognise his beauty and the truth will make us free,
When the kindness shown at Christmas still abides with us all year.
If we know him in the manger, we could recognise him here;

We could see him in the cattle, in the pigs and sheep and birds;
We could see in all creation, incarnations of the Word;
We could honour all that’s holy in each person and each beast;
Then our hearts would be wide open to the meaning of this feast.

O little child, once sleeping on the sharp and prickling straw,
Come live in us this Christmas; make us innocent once more.
Let us find you in each other, then, like angels from above,
We’ll rejoice that God is with us and be messengers of love.
(copyright Christina Croft 2015)

(The answers to yesterday's quiz will be available tomorrow)

Tuesday 22 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Royal Pets of the 19th/Early 20th century?

How Well Do You Know...Royal Pets of the 19th/Early 20th century?
1. Which favourite dog died in 1844?
2. Which little dog did Queen Victoria ask for on her deathbed?
3. How did Princess Alice’s little bullfinch meet his end?
4. What breed of dog was Tsarevich Alexei’s Joy? 
5. Who was given a present of a lamb named Millie?
6. What was the name of Queen Victoria’s dog, which she hurried home to bathe after her coronation?
7. What was the name of Edward VII’s dog, that followed his coffin at his funeral?
8. Which of Franz Ferdinand’s pets escaped from the Belvedere Palace and caused him a good deal of embarrassment?
9. What sort of creature was Lory, given to Queen Victoria by Prince Albert’s father?
10. Who presented Queen Victoria with a pair of Tibetan goats on her accession?
11. Which animals did Edward VII, when Prince of Wales, give to Harriet Mordaunt, whose husband subsequently shot them?
12. What sort of animal was Queen Victoria's Jacquot?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alphabetical-Quiz-Book-Christina-Croft-ebook/dp/B00C7ATASO/ref=la_B002BMCQQ6_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450797005&sr=1-14
How Well Do You Know...Royal Accidents
1. Which of Queen Victoria’s sons-in-law lost an eye following a shooting accident?
Prince Christian
2. Whose little dog was killed when her carriage ran over it?
Princess Beatrice’s
3. Who lost his sight after being struck in the eye by either a watch chain or a curtail tassel?
George of Cumberland/King of Hanover
4. Who narrowly escaped death when the horses pulling his carriage were frightened by a train and galloped through a level crossing?
Prince Albert
5. What accident did Vicky suffer shortly before her wedding?
She burned her arm when her sleeve caught on a candle.
6. Why did Victoria of Hesse limp down the aisle on her wedding day?
She had sprained her ankle jumping over a coal scuttle.
7. What terrible accident resulted in the death of Queen Mary’s grandmother in 1841?
She was trampled to death in a cavalry charge after falling from her horse at a review.
8. Where did Leopold slip and injure his knee, ultimately leading to his death in 1884?
Cannes
9. In which royal home did a fire break out in 1853, damaging four storeys of the building?
Windsor Castle
10. What precipitated a fit in Alexandra of Greece (Grand Duchess Pavel) which ultimately resulted in her death?
She tripped getting into a boat.
11. Who, as a child, damaged his face by falling from his horse onto an iron gate?
Edward VII
12. Who accidentally shot Prince Albert’s dog, Eos? (Happily, Eos recovered!)
His uncle, Prince Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg

Monday 21 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Royal Accidents of the 19th/Early 20th century?

How Well Do You Know...Royal Accidents of the 19th/Early 20th century? (The answers to yesterday's quiz are below)
1. Which of Queen Victoria’s sons-in-law lost an eye following a shooting accident?
2. Whose little dog was killed when her carriage ran over it?
3. Who lost his sight after being struck in the eye by either a watch chain or a curtain tassel?
4. Who narrowly escaped death when the horses pulling his carriage were frightened by a train and galloped through a level crossing? 
5. What accident did Vicky suffer shortly before her wedding?
6. Why did Victoria of Hesse limp down the aisle on her wedding day?
7. What terrible accident resulted in the death of Queen Mary’s grandmother in 1841? 
8. Where did Leopold slip and injure his knee, ultimately leading to his death in 1884? 
9. In which royal home did a fire break out in 1853, damaging four storeys of the building?
10. What precipitated a fit in Alexandra of Greece (Grand Duchess Pavel) which ultimately resulted in her death?
11. Who, as a child, damaged his face by falling from his horse onto an iron gate? 
12. Who accidentally shot Prince Albert’s dog, Eos? (Happily, Eos recovered!)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Any-Other-Name-Christina-Croft/dp/149495950X/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1450696173&sr=1-11
How Well Do You Know...Royal Affairs?
1. What was the name of the flamboyant Irish-born mistress of Ludwig I of Bavaria?
Lola Montez
2. Which actress was the long-term mistress of the Duke of Clarence, later William IV?
Dorothea Jordan
3. Who secretly married Alexandra Kolomine on his daughter’s wedding day?
Grand Duke Ludwig IV of Hesse
4. Which alleged mistress of Edward VII was confined in a lunatic asylum after accusing him of being the father of her child?
Harriet Mordaunt
5. Whose mistress, prior to his marriage, was Matilda Kschessinska?
Tsar Nicholas II’s
6. Whose mistress was Julie St. Laurent?
Edward, Duke of Kent’s
7. Which of his mistresses did Alexander II entertain in his own home while his wife lay dying?
Catherine Dolgurukova
8. Who was Edward VII’s last mistress?
Alice Keppel
9. Where was George V alleged to have had an affair and fathered a child – an allegation for which he later sued his accuser?
Malta
10. Who was Maria Vetsera?
Crown Prince Rudolph’s mistress who died with him at Mayerling
11. What was the name of the actress with whom Emperor Franz Josef had an affair?
Katharina Schratt
12. Which of Queen Victoria’s acknowledged himself to be the father of Valerie Marie Schwalb?
Albert of Schleswig-Holstein

Sunday 20 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Royal Affairs?

How Well Do You Know...Royal Affairs?
 
1. What was the name of the flamboyant Irish-born mistress of Ludwig I of Bavaria?
 
2. Which actress was the long-term mistress of the Duke of Clarence, later William IV?
 
3. Who secretly married Alexandra Kolomine on his daughter’s wedding day?
 
4. Which alleged mistress of Edward VII was confined in a lunatic asylum after accusing him of being the father of her child?
 
5. Whose mistress, prior to his marriage, was Matilda Kschessinska?
 
6. Whose mistress was Julie St. Laurent?
 
7. Which of his mistresses did Alexander II entertain in his own home while his wife lay dying?
 
8. Who was Edward VII’s last mistress?
 
9. Where was George V alleged to have had an affair and fathered a child – an allegation for which he later sued his accuser?
 
10. Who was Maria Vetsera?
 
11. What was the name of the actress with whom Emperor Franz Josef had an affair?
 
12. Which of Queen Victoria’s acknowledged himself to be the father of Valerie Marie Schwalb?
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wonderful-Walter-Christina-Croft-ebook/dp/B00D5G5YY8/ref=la_B002BMCQQ6_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450634020&sr=1-15
 
 
How Well Do You Know...Who Said What?
 
Which royal person said the following (these are not confined to the Victorian era):
 
1. Although I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, I have the heart and stomach of a King.
 
Elizabeth I
 
2. We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They do not exist.
 
Queen Victoria
 
3. The highest of distinctions in service to others.
 
George VI
 
4. I have no objection whatsoever to the notion of the Eternal Father, but every objection to the concept of an eternal mother.
 
Edward VII
 
5. Bugger Bognor!
 
George V
 
6. My whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great Imperial family to which we all belong.
 
Elizabeth II
 
7. (Referring to smoking) A custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the black, stinking fume thereof, nearest resembling the horrible Stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless.
 
James I (James VI of Scotland)
 
8. (Referring to his wedding) We're supposed to have just a small family affair.
 
Prince William
 
9. I’d like to go to Russia very much – although the bastards murdered half my family.
 
Prince Philip
 
10. Now for a nice English cup of tea.
 
Kaiser Wilhelm II
 
11. (On his deathbed, to his son) Witness how a Catholic and an Emperor conducts himself when dying.
 
Emperor Karl of Austria-Hungary
 
12. (On the assassination of his nephew) One has not to defy the Almighty. In this manner a superior power has restored that order which I unfortunately was unable to maintain.
 
Emperor Franz Josef

Saturday 19 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Who Said What?

How Well Do You Know...Who Said What?
Which royal person said the following (these are not confined to the Victorian era):
1. Although I have the body of a weak and feeble woman, I have the heart and stomach of a King.
2. We are not interested in the possibilities of defeat. They do not exist.
3. The highest of distinctions is service to others.
4. I have no objection whatsoever to the notion of the Eternal Father, but every objection to the concept of an eternal mother.
5. Bugger Bognor!
6. My whole life, whether it be long or short, shall be devoted to your service and the service of our great Imperial family to which we all belong.
7. (Referring to smoking) A custom loathsome to the eye, hateful to the nose, harmful to the brain, dangerous to the lungs, and in the black, stinking fume thereof, nearest resembling the horrible Stygian smoke of the pit that is bottomless.
8. (Referring to his wedding) We're supposed to have just a small family affair.
9. I’d like to go to Russia very much – although the bastards murdered half my family.
10. Now for a nice English cup of tea.
11. (On his deathbed, to his son) Witness how a Catholic and an Emperor conducts himself when dying.
12. (On the assassination of his nephew) One has not to defy the Almighty. In this manner a superior power has restored that order which I unfortunately was unable to maintain

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shattered-Crowns-Betrayal-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B00AEXEP90/ref=la_B002BMCQQ6_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450536321&sr=1-6
How Well Do You Know...19th/early 20th Century Royal Humour?
1. When, according to her granddaughter, Alice of Albany, did Queen Victoria say, “We are not amused”?
She never said it!
2. How did the Kaiser offend Ferdinand of Bulgaria in what he viewed as a light-hearted prank?
He smacked him on the bottom.
3. What creature did Waldemar of Prussia release under his grandmother’s desk?
A live crocodile
4. When a young Prince Albert put cheese into the pockets of a visiting lady, how did she take her revenge?
She put frogs in his bed.
5. What did Lily Langtry playfully pour over Edward VII, causing him great offence?
Ice cream
6. As a punishment for what prank were Vicky and Alice forced to apologise to a maid and to buy her a new set of clothes?
They covered her in black-leading.
7. What did George and Eddy of Wales do when Queen Victoria chastised them for their appalling behaviour at dinner?
They jumped out from under the table stark naked and ran around the room like Red Indians.
8. What did Queen Victoria say when a lady presented her with an ostrich egg on which she had painted her name?
“You would think she had laid it herself!”
9. What prank a young Prince Albert and his companion play on the crowds who were waiting to greet their carriage?
They crouched down so only his greyhound, Eos, was visible in the carriage.
10. How did Franz Ferdinand’s parrot create a good deal of laughter when it escaped to a nearby park?
It did a perfect impression of Franz Ferdinand criticising all his relations.
11. How, much to Queen Victoria’s amusement, did an elderly and deaf admiral respond when she asked how his sister was?
“She’ll be fine when we turn her over and scrape the barnacles off her bottom!” (He thought she was referring to a sunken ship.
12. What, much to the amusement of the court, did a tall and powerful African chief ask for when Queen Victoria invited him to choose a gift?
Her little white widow’s cap...which he and subsequent chiefs then wore as a sign of being a great leader!

Thursday 17 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...19th/early 20th Century Royal Humour?

How Well Do You Know...19th/early 20th Century Royal Humour?
 
1. When, according to her granddaughter, Alice of Albany, did Queen Victoria say, “We are not amused”?
 
2. How did the Kaiser offend Ferdinand of Bulgaria in what he viewed as a light-hearted prank?
 
3. What creature did Waldemar of Prussia release under his grandmother’s desk?
 
4. When a young Prince Albert put cheese into the pockets of a visiting lady, how did she take her revenge?
 
5. What did Lily Langtry playfully pour over Edward VII, causing him great offence?
 
6. As a punishment for what prank were Vicky and Alice forced to apologise to a maid and to buy her a new set of clothes?
 
7. What did George and Eddy of Wales do when Queen Victoria chastised them for their appalling behaviour at dinner?
 
8. What did Queen Victoria say when a lady presented her with an ostrich egg on which she had painted her name?
 
9. What prank a young Prince Albert and his companion play on the crowds who were waiting to greet their carriage?
 
10. How did Franz Ferdinand’s parrot create a good deal of laughter when it escaped to a nearby park?
 
11. How, much to Queen Victoria’s amusement, did an elderly and deaf admiral respond when she asked how his sister was?
 
12. What, much to the amusement of the court, did a tall and powerful African chief ask for when Queen Victoria invited him to choose a gift?
 
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Christina-Croft/e/B002BMCQQ6/ref=la_B002BMCQQ6_ntt_srch_lnk_7?qid=1450340968&sr=1-7
 
 
How Well Do You Know...19th/early 20th Century Royal Interests & Hobbies?
 
1. Whose interest in human biology shocked Queen Victoria?
 
Princess Alice’s
 
2. What did George V reply when told that ‘some damned fool’ had spent a fortune on a stamp?
 
“I was that damned fool.”
 
3. Which of Queen Victoria’s sons taught himself to play the violin?
 
Alfred
 
4. Which of Kaiser Wilhelm’s interests took him to Corfu shortly before the outbreak of war?
 
Archaeology
 
5. Which of Queen Victoria’s grandsons developed an interest in homeopathy?
 
Arthur of Connaught
 
6. What sport did Henry of Prussia introduce into the German navy?
 
Boxing
 
7. Whose interest in art led him to establish an artists’ colony, the workshop of which was named in his honour?
 
Ernest Ludwig of Hesse
 
8. Which of Queen Victoria’s grandsons played the violin for her as she lay on her deathbed?
 
Leopold Battenberg
 
9. Where did George V participate in a shoot in which 3,900 pheasants were killed in one day?
 
Hall Barn
 
10. Which Queen wrote books under the pseudonym Carmen Silva?
 
Elizabeth of Roumania
 
11. What was the name of the suffragette who was trampled by George V’s horse at the 1913 Derby? (An extra 5 points for the name of the horse!)
 
Emily Wilding Davison, and the horse was Anmer...I’ll have to take the anthem on trust!
 
12. What was the name of Queen Victoria’s book describing her experiences in Scotland?
 
Leaves from a Highland Journal (and More Leaves from a Highland Journal)

Wednesday 16 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...19th/early 20th Century Royal Interests & Hobbies?

How Well Do You Know...19th/early 20th Century Royal Interests & Hobbies? (The answers to yesterday's quiz are below)
 
1. Whose interest in human biology shocked Queen Victoria?
 
2. What did George V reply when told that ‘some damned fool’ had spent a fortune on a single stamp?
 
3. Which of Queen Victoria’s sons taught himself to play the violin?
 
4. Which of Kaiser Wilhelm’s interests took him to Corfu shortly before the outbreak of war?
 
5. Which of Queen Victoria’s grandsons developed an interest in homeopathy?
 
6. What sport did Henry of Prussia introduce into the German navy?
 
7. Whose interest in art led him to establish an artists’ colony, the workshop of which was named in his honour?
 
8. Which of Queen Victoria’s grandsons played the violin for her as she lay on her deathbed?
 
9. Where did George V participate in a shoot in which 3,900 pheasants were killed in one day?
 
10. Who was Carmen Silva?
 
11. What was the name of the suffragette who was trampled by George V’s horse at the 1913 Derby? (An extra 5 points for the name of the horse! And an extra 10 points if you can whistle the suffragettes' anthem!!)
 
12. What was the name of Queen Victoria’s book describing her experiences in Scotland?
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Innocence-Kaiser-Wilhelm-II-ebook/dp/B0112FGBQS/ref=la_B002BMCQQ6_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450262264&sr=1-9
 
 
 
 
How Well Do You Know...Royal Christmases?
 
1. Whose coronation took place on Christmas Day 1066?
 
William the Conqueror’s
 
2. What popular Christmas decoration did Prince Albert introduce to Britain?
 
Christmas trees
 
3. When was the first royal Christmas message broadcast and by whom?
 
1932 by George V
 
4. When was the first televised royal Christmas message broadcast and by whom?
 
1957 by Elizabeth II
 
5. Which Bohemian king ‘looked out on the feast of Stephen’?
 
Wenceslas
 
6. Where does the Queen usually spend Christmas?
 
Sandringham
 
7. Which of Queen Victoria’s friends was found dead on Christmas morning 1900?
 
Lady Jane Churchill
 
8. Each year a Festival of 8 Lessons is televised from King’s College, Cambridge. Which King founded the college?
 
Henry VI
 
9. Who wrote the comic poem, “King John’s Christmas’?
 
A.A. Milne
 
10. What, according to tradition, were the names of the three kings who followed a star to Bethlehem?
 
Caspar, Melchior & Balthazar
 
11. In Shakespeare’s ‘The Winter’s Tale’, Leontes is King of which country?
 
Sicily
 
12. Whose martyrdom four days after Christmas prompted King Henry II to walk barefoot to Canterbury where he allowed the monks to flog him?
 
Thomas a Becket’s

Tuesday 15 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Royal Christmases?

How Well Do You Know...Royal Christmases? (The answers to yesterday's quiz are below)
1. Whose coronation took place on Christmas Day 1066?
2. What popular Christmas decoration did Prince Albert introduce to Britain?
3. When was the first royal Christmas message broadcast and by whom?
4. When was the first televised royal Christmas message broadcast and by whom?
5. Which Bohemian king ‘looked out on the feast of Stephen’?
6. Where does the Queen usually spend Christmas?
7. Which of Queen Victoria’s friends was found dead on Christmas morning 1900?
8. Each year a carol Festival of 9 Lessons is televised from King’s College, Cambridge. Which King founded the college?
9. Who wrote the comic poem, “King John’s Christmas’?
10. What, according to tradition, were the names of the three kings who followed a star to Bethlehem?
11. In Shakespeare’s ‘The Winter’s Tale’, Leontes is King of which country?
12. Whose martyrdom four days after Christmas prompted King Henry II to walk barefoot to Canterbury where he allowed the monks to flog him?
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Most-Beautiful-Princess-Christina-Croft/dp/0955985307/ref=la_B002BMCQQ6_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1450173682&sr=1-4
How Well Do You Know...Prince Albert
1. Where are Albert born?
The Rosenau
2. What was the name of Albert’s beloved greyhound?
Eos
3. What was the name of Albert’s tutor during his childhood?
Christoph Florschutz
4. Whose death in 1860 marred Albert’s final visit to Coburg in 1860?
His stepmother’s
5. What great feat did Albert achieve in 1851 despite ridicule from ministers and members of his family who said it couldn’t be done?
The Great Exhibition
6. To whom did Albert write: “I am not of a demonstrative nature, and therefore you can hardly know how dear you have been to me, and what a void you have left behind in my heart; yet not in my heart for there you assuredly will abide henceforth as you have always done...”?
His daughter, Vicky
7. Which famous composer stated that, had he not been a Prince, Albert would have also been a great composer?
Mendelssohn
8. Which painting, now in the Royal Collection, did Albert create while at university in Bonn?
The Savoyard Minstrel Boy
9. Which humorous talent – also shared by the present Queen – did Albert employ to entertain his friends while at university?
Mimicry
10. Which country had Albert been touring immediately before he arrived in England when Queen Victoria proposed?
Italy
11. What was ‘the moment in its saddest form’ that was ‘ever before me’, according to Albert in 1837?
His separation from his brother, Ernest
12. Who wrote of Albert, “Such an entire life for duty, so joyously and unpretendingly borne out, remains for all times something inexpressibly fine and grand!...I never knew a man fit to place beside him, or so made to be loved and admired.”
His daughter, Alice

Monday 14 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Prince Albert?

How Well Do You Know...Prince Albert?
 
(A reminder that for today only - 14th December 2015 - Dear Papa, Beloved Mama is available on Kindle for only 99p or $1.49)
 
1. Where are Albert born?
 
2. What was the name of Albert’s beloved greyhound?
 
3. What was the name of Albert’s tutor during his childhood?
 
4. Whose death in 1860 marred Albert’s final visit to Coburg in 1860?
 
5. What great feat did Albert achieve in 1851 despite ridicule from ministers and members of his family who said it couldn’t be done?
 
6. To whom did Albert write: “I am not of a demonstrative nature, and therefore you can hardly know how dear you have been to me, and what a void you have left behind in my heart; yet not in my heart for there you assuredly will abide henceforth as you have always done...”?
 
7. Which famous composer stated that, had he not been a Prince, Albert would have also been a great composer?
 
8. Which painting, now in the Royal Collection, did Albert create while at university in Bonn?
 
9. Which humorous talent – also shared by the present Queen – did Albert employ to entertain his friends while at university?
 
10. Which country had Albert been touring immediately before he arrived in England when Queen Victoria proposed?
 
11. What was ‘the moment in its saddest form’ that was ‘ever before me’, according to Albert in 1837?
 
12. Who wrote of Albert, “Such an entire life for duty, so joyously and unpretendingly borne out, remains for all times something inexpressibly fine and grand!...I never knew a man fit to place beside him, or so made to be loved and admired.”
 
 

Saturday 12 December 2015

December 14th

(The answers to yesterday's quiz are below)


In honour of the anniversary of the death of Prince Albert and Princess Alice, my book, "Dear Papa, Beloved Mama" will be available in Kindle format for only 99p (a 77% discount) between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. GMT on Monday 14th December. (This applies also to the US version of Kindle)





How Well Do You Know...Royalties at War in the 19th/early 20th centuries?
 
1. Which branch of the armed services was established in 1902 and named after the then Queen of Great Britain?
 
Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps
 
2. Whose son was killed in action by having his throat slit with a bayonet in 1916?
 
Margaret (Mossy) of Prussia/Hesse-Kassel
 
3. Which of Queen Victoria’s grandsons narrowly escaped death at Colenso when a bullet passed through his wallet?
 
Christian Victor
 
4. How was George V seriously wounded while reviewing the troops in France during WW1?
 
He was thrown from his horse
 
5. Which of the Kaiser’s sons was wounded in the Battle of the Marne?
 
August William
 
6. En route to which campaign did Henry of Battenberg die?
 
The Ashanti Campaign
 
7. Whom did Tsar Nicholas II replace as the active Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armies in WW1?
 
Grand Duke Nikolai Nikolaivich
 
8. In the uniform of which regiment did Grand Duke Serge ask to be buried (but his body was too badly damaged for his request to be honoured)?
 
Preobrajensky
 
9. Which granddaughter of Victoria of Hesse hid a Jewish family in her home during WW2?
 
Alice Battenberg/of Greece
 
10. Where was Maurice of Battenberg killed in action in 1914?
 
Ypres
 
11. Which of Queen Victoria’s grandsons served as aide-de-camp to Sir John French during WW1?
 
Prince Arthur of Connaught
 
12. Who was awarded the Fenian Medal for resisting the Fenians in Canada during the Battle of Eccles Hill?
 
The Duke of Connaught

Friday 11 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Royalties at War in the 19th/early 20th centuries?

How Well Do You Know...Royalties at War in the 19th/early 20th centuries? (Answers to yesterday's quiz are below)
 
1. Which branch of the armed services was established in 1902 and named after the then Queen of Great Britain?
 
2. Whose son was killed in action by having his throat slit with a bayonet in 1916?
 
3. Which of Queen Victoria’s grandsons narrowly escaped death at Colenso when a bullet passed through his wallet?
 
4. How was George V seriously wounded while reviewing the troops in France during WW1?
 
5. Which of the Kaiser’s sons was wounded in the Battle of the Marne?
 
6. En route to which campaign did Henry of Battenberg die?
 
7. Whom did Tsar Nicholas II replace as the active Commander-in-Chief of the Russian armies in WW1?
 
8. In the uniform of which regiment did Grand Duke Serge ask to be buried (but his body was too badly damaged for his request to be honoured)?
 
9. Which granddaughter of Victoria of Hesse hid a Jewish family in her home during WW2?
 
10. Where was Maurice of Battenberg killed in action in 1914?
 
11. Which of Queen Victoria’s grandsons served as aide-de-camp to Sir John French during WW1?
 
12. Who was awarded the Fenian Medal for resisting the Fenians in Canada during the Battle of Eccles Hill?
 
 
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shattered-Crowns-Scapegoats-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B005C1GKCE/ref=la_B002BMCQQ6_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449821923&sr=1-5
 
 
 
How Well Do You Know...Royal Celebrations of the 19th/early 20th centuries?
 
1. Which Queen’s position in the order of precedence at Queen Victoria’s Gold Jubilee irked Wilhelm of Prussia (later the Kaiser) who felt he should have been placed in a superior position to her?
 
The Queen of Hawaii
 
2. Which territories were annexed by Austria-Hungary ostensibly in celebration of Franz Josef’s Diamond Jubilee?
 
Bosnia Herzegovina
 
3. What dynastic achievement did the Russian Imperial Family celebrate in 1913?
 
300 years of Romanov rule
 
4. At whose wedding celebrations were George V, Wilhelm II and Nicholas II together for the last time?
 
The Kaiser’s daughter, Princess Victoria Louise
 
5. Where was the Thanksgiving Service for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee held?
 
In front of St Paul’s Cathedral
 
6. For what was a Thanksgiving Service held in London in early 1872?
 
Bertie’s recovery from typhoid
 
7. At whose wedding celebrations did Alix of Hesse accept Nicholas of Russia’s marriage proposal?
 
Ernest of Hesse & Victoria Melita’s
 
8. With what item of jewellery did Queen Victoria present all her granddaughters in celebration of her Golden Jubilee?
 
A brooch (and the Jubilee medal)
 
9. Which royal couple celebrated their Silver Wedding anniversary in 1883?
 
Vicky & Fritz
 
10. At whose birthday celebrations were the Prince of Orange, the Prince Regent and several of his brothers found lying intoxicated beneath a table?
 
The Prince Regent’s
 
11. What pet animal did Princess Alice receive for her fourth birthday?
 
A lamb
 
12. What were Franz Ferdinand and Sophie celebrating on the day of their assassination?
 
Their 14th wedding anniversary
 
13. What feast day were the Serbs celebrating on the day of Franz Ferdinand’s assassination?
 
St Vitus Day

Thursday 10 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Royal Celebrations of the 19th/early 20th centuries?

How Well Do You Know...Royal Celebrations of the 19th/early 20th centuries? (The answers to the previous quiz are below)
1. Which Queen’s position in the order of precedence at Queen Victoria’s Gold Jubilee irked Wilhelm of Prussia (later the Kaiser) who felt he should have been placed in a superior position to her?
2. Which territories were annexed by Austria-Hungary ostensibly in celebration of Franz Josef’s Diamond Jubilee?
3. What dynastic achievement did the Russian Imperial Family celebrate in 1913?
4. At whose wedding celebrations were George V, Wilhelm II and Nicholas II together for the last time?
5. Where was the Thanksgiving Service for Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee held?
6. For what was a Thanksgiving Service held in London in early 1872?
7. At whose wedding celebrations did Alix of Hesse accept Nicholas of Russia’s marriage proposal?
8. With what item of jewellery did Queen Victoria present all her granddaughters in celebration of her Golden Jubilee?
9. Which royal couple celebrated their Silver Wedding anniversary in 1883?
10. At whose birthday celebrations were the Prince of Orange, the Prince Regent and several of his brothers found lying intoxicated beneath a table?
11. What pet animal did Princess Alice receive for her fourth birthday?
12. What were Franz Ferdinand and Sophie celebrating on the day of their assassination?
13. What feast day were the Serbs celebrating on the day of Franz Ferdinand’s assassination?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fields-Laid-Waste-Christina-Croft/dp/1483946126/ref=la_B002BMCQQ6_1_12_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449735311&sr=1-12
How Well Do You Know...Royal Scandals in the 19th/early 20th Centuries?
1.  The ‘Delicate Investigation’ was established to look into whose supposedly scandalous life?
Caroline of Brunswick – the then Princess of Wales, wife of the future George IV
2. Which unfortunate woman was committed to an asylum for the insane following a scandal involving Bertie, the Prince of Wales?
Harriet Mordaunt
3. Which artist’s sudden death led to a scandal involving Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Louise?
Joseph Boehm
4. Which young German princess became pregnant by a footman?
Marie of Mecklenburg-Strelitz
5. What was the Tranby Croft affair?
An illegal gambling scandal to which Bertie, Prince of Wales, was a witness.
6. What was General Dietrich von Hülsen-Haeseler wearing when he died suddenly of a heart attack while dancing in front of Kaiser Wilhelm II?
A tutu
7. At which insalubrious Chicago club was Henry of Prussia entertained during his tour of the United States?
The Everleigh Club
8. Who was sent into temporary exile for attempting to influence the Weymouth election?
Ernest Augustus, Duke of Cumberland
9. Which Austrian Emperor’s father was seen in a hotel in Vienna wearing only his military honours?
Karl I’s
10. Prince Albert Victor was alleged to have visited a male brothel, calling himself ‘Victoria’, on which London street?
Cleveland Street
11. How did the illness of Lady Flora Hastings lead to a scandal involving Queen Victoria?
The Queen thought she was pregnant and insisted she should undergo a medical examination, during which it was discovered that she had a fatal tumour.
12. Which tragic scandal threatened to mar the silver wedding anniversary celebrations of Alfred & Marie of Edinburgh, and how did Marie deal with it?
Their son was suffering from venereal disease and behaving so insanely that Marie sent him away to Merano where he died shortly afterwards. 

Tuesday 8 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Royal Scandals in the 19th/early 20th Centuries?

How Well Do You Know...Royal Scandals in the 19th/early 20th Centuries? (The answers to yesterday's quiz are below)
 
1.  The ‘Delicate Investigation’ was established to look into whose supposedly scandalous life?
 
2. Which unfortunate woman was committed to an asylum for the insane following a scandal involving Bertie, the Prince of Wales?
 
3. Which artist’s sudden death might have provoked a scandal involving Queen Victoria’s daughter, Princess Louise?
 
4. Which young German princess became pregnant by a footman?
 
5. What was the Tranby Croft affair?
 
6. What was General Dietrich von Hülsen-Haeseler wearing when he died suddenly of a heart attack while dancing in front of Kaiser Wilhelm II?
 
7. At which insalubrious Chicago club was Henry of Prussia entertained during his tour of the United States?
 
8. Who was sent into temporary exile for attempting to influence the Weymouth election?
 
9. Which future Austrian Emperor’s father was once seen walking through a hotel wearing only his military honours?
 
10. Prince Albert Victor was alleged to have visited a male brothel, calling himself ‘Victoria’, on which London street?
 
11. How did the illness of Lady Flora Hastings lead to a scandal involving Queen Victoria?
 
12. Which tragic scandal threatened to mar the silver wedding anniversary celebrations of Alfred & Marie of Edinburgh, and how did Marie deal with it?
 
 
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shattered-Crowns-Betrayal-Christina-Croft/dp/1481957686/ref=la_B002BMCQQ6_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449570719&sr=1-7
 
How Well Do You Know...Royal Disputes in the 19th/early 20th Centuries?
 
1. For what ‘offence’ did Wilhelm II threaten to arrest his sister, Sophie, if she ever set foot in Germany again?
 
Converting to Greek Orthodoxy
 
2. Whose wedding in 1866 did the Prince & Princess of Wales threaten to boycott?
 
Princess Helena & Prince Christian’s
 
3. How did Archduke Franz Ferdinand take revenge on Ferdinand of Bulgaria when he insisted on having his train carriage coupled closest to the engine en route to the funeral of Edward VII?
 
He refused him access to the dining car
 
4. Whose influence led to a heated argument between the Tsarina Alexandra and her sister, Ella, at their final meeting?
 
Rasputin’s
 
5. Whose jewels led to dispute between Queen Victoria and her uncle, the King of Hanover?
 
Queen Charlotte’s
 
6. What extreme name did Kaiser Wilhelm call Edward VII?
 
Satan
 
7. Why was Queen Victoria angered by Prince Albert’s insistence on attending the opening of the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society in 1861?
 
Their son, Leopold, was serious ill at Osborne and Queen Victoria said they should not leave him.
 
8. Who disrupted her parents’ Silver Wedding celebrations by deliberately upstaging her sister-in-law and performing cruel impressions of her?
 
Charlotte of Prussia
 
9. How did Princess Louise add to the distress of her sister, Beatrice, following her husband’s death?
 
She claimed that Beatrice’s husband had been closer to her than to his wife and had made advances towards her.
 
10. What did Emperor Wilhelm I threaten to do if his daughter-in-law Vicky insisted on continuing to push for a marriage between her daughter Moretta and Alexander Battenberg?
 
Banish them from the court
 
11. Whose very public rows caused Vicky much distress during the early years of her marriage?
 
Her parents-in-law
 
12. Who refused to allow his wife to attend his coronation?
 
George IV

Monday 7 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Royal Disputes in the 19th/early 20th Centuries?

(The answers to yesterday's quiz are below)
 
 
1. For what ‘offence’ did Wilhelm II threaten to arrest his sister, Sophie, if she ever set foot in Germany again?
 
2. Whose wedding in 1866 did the Prince & Princess of Wales threaten to boycott?
 
3. How did Archduke Franz Ferdinand take revenge on Ferdinand of Bulgaria when he insisted on having his train carriage coupled closest to the engine en route to the funeral of Edward VII?
 
4. Whose influence led to a heated argument between the Tsarina Alexandra and her sister, Ella, at their final meeting?
 
5. Whose jewels led to dispute between Queen Victoria and her uncle, the King of Hanover?
 
6. What extreme name did Kaiser Wilhelm call Edward VII?
 
7. Why was Queen Victoria angered by Prince Albert’s insistence on attending the opening of the gardens of the Royal Horticultural Society in 1861?
 
8. Who disrupted her parents’ Silver Wedding celebrations by deliberately upstaging her sister-in-law and performing cruel impressions of her?
 
9. How did Princess Louise add to the distress of her sister, Beatrice, following her husband’s death?
 
10. What did Emperor Wilhelm I threaten to do if his daughter-in-law Vicky insisted on continuing to push for a marriage between her daughter Moretta and Alexander Battenberg?
 
11. Whose very public rows caused Vicky much distress during the early years of her marriage?
 
12. Who refused to allow his wife to attend his coronation?
 
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shattered-Crowns-Scapegoats-Trilogy-Book-ebook/dp/B005C1GKCE/ref=la_B002BMCQQ6_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449475722&sr=1-5
 
 
 
How Well Do You Know...Royal Births in the 19th/early 20th Centuries?
 
1. For the birth of which of her children was Queen Victoria first administered chloroform?
 
Leopold
 
2. Which obstetrician killed himself following the death of Princess Charlotte of Wales in childbirth?
 
Sir Richard Croft
 
3. What physical defect did Kaiser Wilhelm suffer as a result of trauma during his birth?
 
His arm failed to develop properly
 
4. Which of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters gave birth to two sets of twins?
 
Mossy of Hesse-Kassel/Prussia
 
5. After whose birth did Tsar Nicholas II go for a long walk to conceal his disappointment?
 
His daughter, Anastasia’s
 
6. Which monarch’s wife died 24 hours after giving birth to their fourth child in 1899?
 
Ferdinand of Bulgaria’s
 
7. Which of Queen Victoria’s grandsons was born after the death of his father?
 
Charles Edward of Albany/Coburg
 
8. Which royal saint was born on All Saints Day in 1864?
 
Ella of Hesse
 
9. Who, having allegedly heard a gypsy prophecy, hurried back to England with his wife for the birth of their first child?
 
Edward, Duke of Kent
 
10. When and where was Prince Albert born?
 
August 26 1819 at the Rosenau
 
11. Who allegedly fathered Marie of Roumania’s son, Mircea?
 
Barbo Stirbey
 
12. Why did Queen Victoria claim to be unimpressed on hearing of the birth of her granddaughter, Victoria of Wales?
 
Because ‘it seems to go on like the rabbits in Windsor Park’

Sunday 6 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Royal Births in the 19th/early 20th Centuries?

How Well Do You Know...Royal Births in the 19th/early 20th Centuries? (The answers to yesterday's quiz are below)
 
1. For the birth of which of her children was Queen Victoria first administered chloroform?
 
2. Which obstetrician killed himself following the death of Princess Charlotte of Wales in childbirth?
 
3. What physical defect did Kaiser Wilhelm suffer as a result of trauma during his birth?
 
4. Which of Queen Victoria’s granddaughters gave birth to two sets of twins?
 
5. After whose birth did Tsar Nicholas II go for a long walk to conceal his disappointment?
 
6. Which monarch’s wife died 24 hours after giving birth to their fourth child in 1899?
 
7. Which of Queen Victoria’s grandsons was born after the death of his father?
 
8. Which royal saint was born on All Saints Day in 1864?
 
9. Who, having allegedly heard a gypsy prophecy, hurried back to England with his wife for the birth of their first child?
 
10. When and where was Prince Albert born?
 
11. Who allegedly fathered Marie of Roumania’s son, Mircea? 
 
12. Why did Queen Victoria claim to be unimpressed on hearing of the birth of her granddaughter, Victoria of Wales? 
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Innocence-Kaiser-Wilhelm-II-ebook/dp/B0112FGBQS/ref=la_B002BMCQQ6_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449390934&sr=1-9
 
 
 
How Well Do You Know...Royal Religion in the 19th/early 20th Centuries?
 
1. Which of Queen Victoria’s uncles converted to Catholicism when he married?
 
Ferdinand of Saxe-Coburg
 
2. What name was Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg given when she was confirmed in Catholicism?
 
Brindle
 
3. Which saintly priest was the spiritual advisor to Tsar Alexander III and his family?
 
Ioann of Kronstadt
 
4. What did Louis of Hesse say when he heard his daughter, Ella, was converting to Russian Orthodoxy?
 
“May God forgive you!”
 
5. Who converted to Greek Orthodoxy shortly after her marriage to the Crown Prince of the Hellenes?
 
Sophie of Prussia
 
6. In which religious faith was Prince Albert raised?
 
Lutheranism
 
7. Of whom was the German Empress Augusta speaking when she said it was a good thing she had died or her children would have grown up as atheists?
 
Alice of Hesse
 
8. What was the name of Grand Duchess Elizabeth’s religious foundation?
 
The House of Martha & Mary
 
9. Who wrote to the Dean of Westminster:  “Let him never forget the insufficiency of human knowledge and wisdom, and the impossibility of any man, or even any Church to say, ‘I am right. I alone am right.’ Let him therefore be meek and liberal and tolerant to other confessions.” ?
 
Prince Albert
 
10. At which Presbyterian church did the Royal Family attend services while staying at Balmoral?
 
Crathie Kirk
 
11. Which Bishop of Ripon became a close friend of the Empress Frederick?
 
William Boyd-Carpenter
 
12. With which pope did Bertie – then Prince of Wales – have an audience in 1859?
 
Pius IX

Saturday 5 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Royal Religion in the 19th/early 20th Centuries?

(The answers to yesterday's quiz are below)
 
 
1. Which of Queen Victoria’s uncles converted to Catholicism when he married?
 
2. What name was Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg given when she was confirmed in Catholicism?
 
3. Which saintly priest was the spiritual advisor to Tsar Alexander III and his family?
 
4. What did Louis of Hesse say when he heard his daughter, Ella, was converting to Russian Orthodoxy?
 
5. Who converted to Greek Orthodoxy shortly after her marriage to the Crown Prince of the Hellenes?
 
6. In which religious faith was Prince Albert raised?
 
7. Of whom was the German Empress Augusta speaking when she said it was a good thing she had died or her children would have grown up as atheists? 
 
8. What was the name of Grand Duchess Elizabeth’s religious foundation?
 
9. Who wrote to the Dean of Westminster:  “Let him never forget the insufficiency of human knowledge and wisdom, and the impossibility of any man, or even any Church to say, ‘I am right. I alone am right.’ Let him therefore be meek and liberal and tolerant to other confessions.” ?
 
10. At which Presbyterian church did the Royal Family attend services while staying at Balmoral? 
 
11. Which Bishop of Ripon became a close friend of the Empress Frederick?
 
12. With which pope did Bertie – then Prince of Wales – have an audience in 1859?
 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dear-Papa-Beloved-Mama-1840-1861-ebook/dp/B00L0U4XY8/ref=la_B002BMCQQ6_1_6_twi_kin_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1449304940&sr=1-6
 
 
 
 
How Well Do You Know...What Queen Victoria Said?
 
1. What did Queen Victoria say on hearing that her first child was a girl?
 
“The next one will be a prince.”
 
2. Whom did Queen Victoria call a ‘poor insignificant princess’?
 
Wilhelm II’s wife, Dona (Augusta Victoria)
 
3. What did Queen Victoria describe as ‘a very nasty object’?
 
A new-born baby
 
4. What, according to Queen Victoria, did Albert lack during his final illness?
 
Pluck
 
5. What did the Queen describe as a ‘mad wicked folly’ that she was ‘most anxious to check’?
 
Women’s rights
 
6. What did the Queen describe as ‘a very doubtful happiness’?
 
Marriage
 
7. Who, wrote the Queen, was ‘the one bright spot on which I love to dwell’?
 
Her son, Arthur
 
8. Why did the Queen say she was ‘not interested in the possibilities of defeat’?
 
“They do not exist.”
 
9. Where was the Queen describing when she wrote that ‘it is impossible to find a prettier spot’?
 
Osborne House
 
10. Who, according to the Queen, addressed her as though she were a public meeting?
 
Gladstone
 
11. Whom did she jokingly call ‘Merrypebble’?
 
Gladstone
 
12. Who, said the Queen, was ‘like a distinguished lady of society but nothing more’?
 
Her daughter-in-law, Alexandra, Princess of Wales

Friday 4 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...What Queen Victoria Said?

How Well Do You Know...What Queen Victoria Said? (Yesterday's answers are below)
 
1. What did Queen Victoria say on hearing that her first child was a girl?
 
2. Whom did Queen Victoria call a ‘poor insignificant princess’?
 
3. What did Queen Victoria describe as ‘a very nasty object’?
 
4. What, according to Queen Victoria, did Albert lack during his final illness?
 
5. What did the Queen describe as a ‘mad wicked folly’ that she was ‘most anxious to check’?
 
6. What did the Queen describe as ‘a very doubtful happiness’?
 
7. Who, wrote the Queen, was ‘the one bright spot on which I love to dwell’?
 
8. Why did the Queen say she was ‘not interested in the possibilities of defeat’?
 
9. Where was the Queen describing when she wrote that ‘it is impossible to find a prettier spot’?
 
10. Who, according to the Queen, addressed her as though she were a public meeting?
 
11. Whom did she jokingly call ‘Merrypebble’?
 
12. Who, said the Queen, was ‘like a distinguished lady of society but nothing more’?
 
 
 
 
 
 
How Well Do You Know...Royal Transport of the 19th/early 20th centuries?
 
1. What was the name of the training ship on which Eddy and George of Wales began their sea cadetship?
 
Britannia 
 
2. What was the Royal Yacht Victoria & Albert II renamed?
 
Osborne
 
3. On which yacht was Queen Victoria’s body brought back to the mainland from the Isle of Wight for her funeral?
 
Alberta
 
4. Which of the Kaiser’s yachts won the Queen’s Cup in 1896?
 
Meteor II
 
5. Queen Victoria was the first British monarch to use which mode of transport?
 
Train
 
6. What was the name of Tsar Nicholas II’s favourite yacht?
 
Standart
 
7. What was the name of Kaiser Wilhelm II’s favourite yacht?
 
Hohenzollern
 
8. Where did the Russian Imperial train derail in 1888, leading the Tsar to support the roof on his shoulders to allow the family to escape?
 
Borko
 
9. Who, in 1910, organised a series of trials for the Vauxhall Motor Company in return for which a car was named in his honour?
 
Henry of Prussia
 
10. For what transport related offence was Maurice of Battenberg fined £3? 
 
Speeding
 
11. Which car had the number plate was A11 118?
 
The one in which Franz Ferdinand was travelling when he was assassinated
 
12. Who was the first British monarch to appear at a public event in a motor car?
 
Edward VII

Thursday 3 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Royal Transport of the 19th/early 20th centuries?

How Well Do You Know...Royal Transport of the 19th/early 20th centuries? (The answers to yesterday's quiz are below)
 
1. What was the name of the training ship on which Eddy and George of Wales began their sea cadetship?
 
2. What was the Royal Yacht Victoria & Albert II renamed?
 
3. On which yacht was Queen Victoria’s body brought back to the mainland from the Isle of Wight for her funeral?
 
4. Which of the Kaiser’s yachts won the Queen’s Cup in 1896?
 
5. Queen Victoria was the first British monarch to use which mode of transport?
 
6. What was the name of Tsar Nicholas II’s favourite yacht?
 
7. What was the name of Kaiser Wilhelm II’s favourite yacht?
 
8. Where did the Russian Imperial train derail in 1888, leading the Tsar to support the roof on his shoulders to allow the family to escape?
 
9. Who, in 1910, organised a series of trials for the Vauxhall Motor Company in return for which a car was named in his honour?
 
10. For what transport related offence was Maurice of Battenberg fined £3? 
 
11. Which car had the number plate was A11 118?
 
12. Who was the first British monarch to travel to an official engagement in a motor car?
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Queen-Victorias-Grandsons-1859-1918-Christina-ebook/dp/B00RO2EZ4E/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
 
 
 
How Well Do You Know...Royal Weddings & Marriages of the 19th/Early 20th centuries
 
1. Whose marriage led Queen Victoria to declare, “I hate weddings!”
 
Ella of Hesse & Serge of Russia
 
2. Which of Queen Victoria’s children married a commoner (albeit an aristocratic one!)?
 
Louise
 
3. Which of Queen Victoria’s children had to use a walking stick on his wedding day?
 
Leopold
 
4. At whose wedding did the recently-bereaved celebrant, the Archbishop of Canterbury, weep throughout the ceremony?
 
Alice’s
 
5. Who met her future husband while attending the wedding of her cousin, Moretta of Prussia?
 
Marie Louise of Schleswig-Holstein
 
6. Where did Princess Alice marry Louis of Hesse?
 
In the Dining Room of Osborne House
 
7. Which member of the Russian Imperial Family tried to elope with one unsuitable bride before secretly marrying another?
 
Mikhael/Michael Alexandrovich
 
8. The wedding of which of Queen Victoria’s children caused a great stir in the Prussian Royal Family as they believed the groom was unworthy of his bride?
 
Beatrice’s
 
9. Whose wedding was marred by an assassination attempt which led to the deaths of many bystanders and members of the suite?
 
Victoria Eugenie of Battenberg & Alfonso XIII of Spain
 
10. Whose marriage was so frowned upon by the court that not one member of the groom’s family attended the wedding?
 
Archduke Franz Ferdinand & Sophie Chotek’s
 
11. Who caused a scandal at his daughter’s wedding by announcing that he had secretly married his mistress?
 
Louis of Hesse
 
12. Who, in 1902, left his niece’s wedding early in order to run away with his mistress?
 
Pavel/Paul Alexandrovich

Wednesday 2 December 2015

How Well Do You Know...Royal Weddings of the 19th/Early 20th centuries?

How Well Do You Know...Royal Weddings of the 19th/Early 20th centuries? (The answers to the previous quiz are below)
 
1. Whose marriage led Queen Victoria to declare, “I hate weddings!”
 
2. Which of Queen Victoria’s children married a commoner (albeit an aristocratic one!)?
 
3. Which of Queen Victoria’s children had to use a walking stick on his wedding day?
 
4. At whose wedding did the recently-bereaved celebrant, the Archbishop of Canterbury, weep throughout the ceremony?
 
5. Who met her future husband while attending the wedding of her cousin, Moretta of Prussia?
 
6. Where did Princess Alice marry Louis of Hesse?
 
7. Which member of the Russian Imperial Family tried to elope with one unsuitable bride before secretly marrying another?
 
8. The wedding of which of Queen Victoria’s children caused a great stir in the Prussian Royal Family as they believed the groom was unworthy of his bride?
 
9. Whose wedding was marred by an assassination attempt which led to the deaths of many bystanders and members of the suite?
 
10. Whose marriage was so frowned upon by the Austrian court that not one member of the groom’s family attended the wedding?
 
11. Who caused a scandal at his daughter’s wedding by announcing that he had secretly married his mistress?
 
12. Who, in 1902, left his niece’s wedding early in order to run away with his mistress?
 
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Alice-Enigma-Queen-Victorias-Daughter/dp/149428006X/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

 
 
 
How Well Do You Know...19th/early 20th century Royal Nicknames?
 
1. What did the young William II call his sister, Charlotte, in a childish attempt to say ‘sister’?
 
Ditta
 
2. Who was known as Missy to her family?
 
Marie of Edinburgh/Coburg/Roumania
 
3. Who was known as Mossy to her family?
 
Margaret of Prussia
 
4. What abbreviated form of his name did Marie of Roumania call her husband?
 
Nando
 
5. By what shortened version of one of her names was Queen Victoria known as a child?
 
Drina
 
6. Who was known as Sunny when she was a child?
 
Alix of Hesse/Empress Alexandra
 
7. Who was Fischy?
 
Friedrich of Hesse-Kassel
 
8. By which 2 nicknames was Christian Victor known to his family?
 
Christle and Kiki
 
9. By what nickname was Victoria Melita of Edinburgh known?
 
Ducky
 
10. What cruel name did Alexandra, Princess of Wales, call her niece, Thora of Schleswig-Holstein?
 
Snipe
 
11. Who was Prince Eddy?
 
Albert Victor, Duke of Clarence & Avondale
 
12. Which tragic heir to a throne was called Sunbeam by his mother?
 
Tsarevich Alexei