Coronation Quiz | King Charles III, the 2023 coronation and the peculiar history of crowning British monarchs

Ahead of the coronation of King Charles III tomorrow, we’ve compiled a quiz. 

It consists of three rounds, each featuring ten questions. All questions are multiple-choice. 

The first round focuses on Charles himself, the second round looks at the coronation of 2023, and the third round tests your knowledge of British coronation history. Answers are provided at the end of each round. 

Warning, the questions are increasingly difficult. You only get a coronation every once in a while. You might as well make it challenging.

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Round 1: The (brief) Life and Times of King Charles III

1. King Charles III was born on what date in 1948?

a) 28 January

b) 26 September

c) 14 November

2. What Scottish boarding school was Charles sent to as a child? 

a) Gordonstoun 

b) Fettes College

c) St Leonards

3. Charles was the first British heir apparent to do what?

a) Spend over 50 years as the heir apparent

b) Obtain a university degree

c) Inherit the title of the Prince of Wales

4. While the exact circumstances are debated, Charles met Camilla, Queen Consort, around 1970. Soon after, Camilla is said to have alerted Charles to something they had in common – what was it?

a) They had gone to lower school together

b) They both liked salt & vinegar crisp sandwiches

c) Their great-grandparents had had an affair 

5. Charles met Diana Spencer in 1977 at a shooting party at Althorp, the Spencer family home. What bird were they hunting?

a) Pheasant 

b) Grouse

c) Pigeon

6. The pair wed on 29 July 1981. How old was Diana?

a) 20

b) 22

c) 24

7. At the funeral of Pope John Paul II in 2005, the then Prince of Wales shook hands with which world leader, attracting controversy? Charles would go on to distance himself from the leader’s “abhorrent regime”.

a) Colonel Gadaffi

b) Robert Mugabe 

c) Vladimir Putin

8. Charles wrote many letters to British cabinet ministers and politicians during the early 2000s. They were eventually published in 2015, with the letters now commonly known as what?

a) The Black Spider Memos

b) The Hutchinson Letters

c) The Prince of Wales Papers

9. Over the twenty-year period between 2002 and 2022, Charles carried out how many official royal engagements?

a) 2,592

b) 6,268

c) 10,934 

10. How many nieces and nephews does Charles have?

a) 4

b) 6

c) 8 

Answers, Round 1:

1. 14 November

2. Gordonstoun

3. Obtain a university degree – after a B and C at A-Level, Charles attended Trinity College, Cambridge, where he got a 2:2

4. Their great-grandparents had an affair – she said so, according to Tatler.

5. Grouse – they met when Diana was just 16 (and Charles was going out with her older sister).

6. 20

7. Robert Mugabe

8. The Black Spider Memos – the name comes from Charles’ handwriting, which is said to look like a black spider.

9. 10,934 – that’s an average of 521 a year.

10. 6 – each of Charles’ three siblings has two children.

Round 2: The 2023 Coronation of King Charles III

1. Plans for the coronation have been given what code name?

a) Operation Golden Orb

b) Operation London Bridge

c) Operation Purple May

2. Charles will be anointed during the ceremony using a gold vessel known as an Ampulla. It is used to hold the consecrated oil and is in the shape of what creature?

a) An eagle

b) A lion

c) A unicorn

3. Last year, it was revealed that Camilla was ending the tradition of having her helpers known as “ladies-in-waiting”. Instead, they will now go by what title? 

a) People-in-waiting

b) Royal hands

c) Queen’s Companions 

4. King Charles will be crowned with what official crown? Versions have been used to crown British monarchs since the 13th century. 

c) The Imperial State Crown (Crown Jewels)

b) St Edward’s Crown

c) State Crown of George I

5. On the official coronation invitation, which figures from British folklore feature on the invite?

a) The Green Man

b) The Welsh dragon

c) King Arthur

6. Charles and Camilla will travel to Westminster Abbey in the coach previously used by Queen Elizabeth II on what occasion?

a) Her own coronation

b) Her Diamond Jubilee

c) Her Platinum Jubilee 

7. The coronation emblem was created by which acclaimed British designer?

a) Vivienne Westwood

b) Margaret Calvert

c) Jony Ive

8. Who was asked to compose a ‘Coronation Anthem’ for the ceremony? They expressed their pride at being chosen and said: “I hope my anthem reflects this joyful occasion.” 

a) Paul McCartney

b) Ed Sheeran

c) Andrew Lloyd Webber

9. Which of the below list of foreign royals will not be attending the coronation of Charles?

a) Queen Margrethe II of Denmark 

b) Druk Gyalpo (Dragon King), King of Bhutan

c) King Maha Vajiralongkorn of Thailand

10. For the ‘Closing Procession’ stage of the coronation, the King will make his final robe change, into ceremonial robes known as Robes of the Estate. What colour are they?

a) Gold

b) Purple

c) Red

Answers, Round 2:

1. Operation Golden Orb 

2. An eagle

3. Queen’s Companions

4. St Edward’s Crown

5. The Green Man

6. Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee

7. Jony Ive – Ive was Apple Inc.’s Chief Design Officer from 1997 until 2019.

8. Andrew Lloyd Webber

9. Queen Margarethe II of Denmark – she recently required  'extensive back surgery’ and won’t be able to make it

10. Purple – you can see the robes here.

Round 3: The History of British Royal Coronations

1. Who was the first monarch to have a documented coronation held at Westminster Abbey?

a) Athelstan

b) William the Conqueror

c) Richard the Lionheart

2. Which ruler, in 1199, was said to have treated his coronation with “unseemly levity”. He left the event before even receiving the Sacrament. 

a) Henry II

b) John

c) Edward I

3. President Biden is not attending the week’s coronation, but who was the last US president to attend the crowing of a British monarch?

a) Dwight Eisenhower

b) George Washington

c) No president ever has

4. Speaking of Americans… Edward VIII abdicated the throne in December 1936, before his coronation could take place. Who is the only other monarch to have never had a coronation?

a) Edward V 

b) Oliver Cromwell

c) George I

5. It is said that in 1308, the coronation of Edward II was marred by the death of a knight, Sir John Bakewell. How did he die?

a) He was slain in a duel

b) He was poisoned to death

c) He was crushed in the crowd

6. Which monarch had to be persuaded to have his coronation in the first place? It became known as the ‘penny coronation’ because so little money was spent, and the scaled-back ceremony ended at 3:00pm, without a traditional banquet afterwards. 

a) Henry V

b) William of Orange and Mary II

c) William IV 

7. Approximately 2,000 people are set to attend the coronation this time around, but how many attended Elizabeth II’s in 1953?

a) 3,768

b) 8,251

c) 10,102

8. The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will anoint the new King and Queen this year. Who was the last person to oversee a British coronation?

a) Cosmo Gordon Lang

b) Geoffrey Fisher

c) Michael Ramsay

9. Which famous English ruler was crowned on a date chosen by their astrologer? 

a) Elizabeth I

b) Charles II

c) Victoria

10. And finally, which monarch was unable to walk into Westminster Abbey for their coronation due to a bout of gout? Instead, they were carried in by Yeomen of the Guard on an open chair.

a) Henry VIII

b) Anne I

c) George III

Answers, Round 3:

1. William the Conqueror – it is possible others did before him. However, the ceremony on 25 December 1066 is the first on record

2. John 

3. No president ever has 

4. Edward V – The ‘Boy King’ was murdered by his uncle, Richard III, before he could have a coronation. He was aged just 12.

5. He was crushed in a crowd 

6. William IV

7. 8,251

8. Geoffrey Fisher

9. Elizabeth I

10. Anne I

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