Lesson Y8-U01-L06

Trial and Execution of Charles I, 1649 Quiz: KS3 History, Unit 7

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson Y8-U01-L06, Trial and Execution of Charles I, 1649: 20 multiple choice questions for the KS3 History (National Curriculum), Unit 7: Year 8: English Civil War, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. On what date did the trial of Charles I begin?

    • 20 January 1649
    • 27 January 1648
    • 6 December 1648
    • 30 January 1649

  2. What special court was created in 1649 to try Charles I?

    • Parliamentary Tribunal
    • Royal Privy Council
    • Supreme Court of England
    • High Court of Justice

  3. Who presided as judge at the trial?

    • John Bradshaw
    • Thomas Pride
    • John Pym
    • Oliver Cromwell

  4. What were the men who signed the death warrant later called?

    • Levellers
    • Royalists
    • Regicides
    • Grandees

  5. How many men signed the death warrant?

    • 590
    • 59
    • 5
    • 159

  6. On what grounds did King Charles I refuse to enter a plea at his trial?

    • Military rank
    • Mental illness
    • Diplomatic immunity
    • Divine right

  7. What was the military purge of Parliament in December 1648 called?

    • The Rump Cleansing
    • Fairfax's Expulsion
    • Cromwell's Sweep
    • Pride's Purge

  8. Which conflict did Charles I restart in 1648?

    • Bishop's War
    • Third Civil War
    • First Civil War
    • Second Civil War

  9. Outside which famous London building was Charles I executed?

    • Westminster Abbey
    • Tower of London
    • Banqueting House
    • Buckingham Palace

  10. Why did King Charles I wear two shirts during his execution on 30 January 1649?

    • Royal tradition
    • Hide injuries
    • Keep warm
    • Prevent shivering

  11. What was the name of the bestselling book presenting Charles as a martyr?

    • Eikon Basilike
    • Basilica Regia
    • Leviathan
    • The King's Book

  12. Which of these was a primary charge read against Charles I at trial?

    • Blasphemer
    • Tyrant
    • Coward
    • Heretic

  13. According to Charles I, who alone had the authority to judge him?

    • Parliament
    • God
    • The Army
    • The People

  14. What did Charles I claim was the source of his political power?

    • Divine right
    • The army
    • Public election
    • Parliamentary vote

  15. Why are individual eyewitness accounts of the execution limited for historians?

    • They are fabricated
    • They are modern
    • They are subjective
    • They are official

  16. Which body of politicians voted to put Charles I on trial?

    • The Privy Council
    • House of Lords
    • Full Parliament
    • Rump Parliament

  17. In what year was the English monarchy officially restored after the republic?

    • 1653
    • 1688
    • 1660
    • 1649

  18. Why did the regicides believe keeping Charles alive was too dangerous?

    • Threat of French invasion
    • Risk of royalist plots
    • Loss of tax revenue
    • Cost of his imprisonment

  19. What historical distinction does the lesson make regarding the trial?

    • Legal versus justified
    • King versus army
    • Past versus present
    • Right versus wrong

  20. Which major argument was used by critics to claim the trial of Charles I was unjust?

    • No lawful court
    • Lack of witnesses
    • No foreign judges
    • Secret proceedings

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