Lesson Y7-U02-L07

1066 Who Should Be King Quiz: KS3 History, Unit 2

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y7-U02-L07, 1066 Who Should Be King: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 History (National Curriculum), Unit 2: Year 7: Battle of Hastings, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Who died on 5 January 1066 without leaving a son?

    • Harold Godwinson
    • William of Normandy
    • Edward the Confessor
    • Harald Hardrada

  2. Who was crowned king of England on 6 January 1066?

    • Harald Hardrada
    • Edgar the Aetheling
    • William of Normandy
    • Harold Godwinson

  3. Who was the Viking claimant to the English throne in 1066?

    • Harald Hardrada
    • Cnut
    • Rollo
    • Guthrum

  4. What were the three main types of claim to the throne in 1066?

    • Church, army, law
    • Wealth, age, birth
    • Blood, promise, power
    • Marriage, tax, trade

  5. Why did a disputed throne often lead to war in the Middle Ages?

    • No fixed rules
    • Lack of money
    • Pope demanded it
    • Bad weather

  6. On what basis did William of Normandy claim the English throne?

    • Witan election
    • Military conquest
    • Direct marriage
    • Edward's promise

  7. Who chose Harold Godwinson as king in January 1066?

    • The Witan
    • The Pope
    • The Fyrd
    • Parliament

  8. What was the main weakness of Harold Godwinson's claim to the throne?

    • No royal blood
    • Foreign birth
    • Too young
    • No army

  9. What was a major weakness of William of Normandy's claim to the throne?

    • No supporters
    • No military
    • He was foreign
    • Young age

  10. Why was Harald Hardrada's claim to the English throne considered very weak?

    • Direct royal descent
    • Old agreement
    • Witan election
    • Military conquest

  11. Why was Harald Hardrada still a dangerous threat despite a weak claim?

    • Viking army
    • Royal blood
    • Papal support
    • English spies

  12. Who was Tostig, the man who backed Harald Hardrada's invasion?

    • The Pope
    • Edward's son
    • Harold's brother
    • A Norman duke

  13. Why was Edgar the Aetheling passed over for the throne in 1066?

    • Hated by Witan
    • Too young
    • No royal blood
    • Foreign birth

  14. Which claimant was the most closely related by blood to Edward the Confessor?

    • Harold Godwinson
    • Edgar the Aetheling
    • Harald Hardrada
    • William of Normandy

  15. Why is the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle useful for studying 1066?

    • Norman source
    • Modern textbook
    • English viewpoint
    • Written by Pope

  16. Why are historians cautious about the story of Harold's oath to William?

    • Papal denials
    • English accounts
    • No written proof
    • Norman sources

  17. Who wrote a key Norman account of 1066 as chaplain to William?

    • Harald Hardrada
    • Edward the Confessor
    • William of Poitiers
    • Harold Godwinson

  18. Why was having a teenage king considered risky in 1066?

    • Too wealthy
    • Spoken Latin
    • Foreign ties
    • Lacked experience

  19. Which two men had the strongest claims to the English throne in 1066?

    • Harold and William
    • Hardrada and Tostig
    • Tostig and Edgar
    • Edward and Edgar

  20. What did the Pope give William to support his invasion of England?

    • Gold coins
    • English crown
    • War ships
    • Holy banner

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