Tag: royalty

2025-10-29 Bridge to Somewhere—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions posed earlier.

The Öresund Bridge, which features in the Nordic noir television drama series The Bridge, carries European Route E20, see question 1.
Image Wikipedia

One

The European Route E20 stretches approximately 1,168 miles (1,880 km) from a river estuary airport in the west to the northernmost city of over a million people in the east. Which airport and city are these?

Answer: Shannon Airport, Republic of Ireland and Saint Petersburg, Russia.

The European route E20 is part of the United Nations International E-road network and runs roughly west-east through Ireland, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, Estonia and finally Russia. The road is not continuous and, at three points, a ferry must be used to continue along its length; although at one of those there is no ferry! The Øresund Bridge, which is known for featuring in the Nordic noir television series The Bridge, carries European Route E20.

Two

A television medical drama that ran from October 1982 to May 1988 was set in St Elegius Hospital, Boston. What was its title?

Answer: St Elsewhere

St. Elsewhere, a medical drama series, aired on NBC from 1982 to 1988. Although it never ranked higher than 47th in Nielsen ratings, it gained a loyal following and critical acclaim, winning 13 Emmy Awards. Set at the fictional St. Eligius Hospital in Boston, the show was known for its realistic portrayal of the medical profession and featured a large ensemble cast. It tackled contemporary issues like breast cancer, AIDS, and addiction, while also incorporating humour and inside jokes.

Three

In what novel by Charles Dickens does Esther Summerson tell her own story in the past tense?

Answer: Bleak House

Bleak House, a Dickens novel, satirises the legal system through the long-running case of Jarndyce and Jarndyce. The novel, partly narrated by Esther Summerson, is set in London and is credited with introducing urban fog to Gothic literature.

Four

The Chalcolithic period, an archaeological era, was primarily defined by a rise in the use of what specific material?

Answer: Copper (smelted copper)

The Chalcolithic, or Copper Age, was a period characterised by the increasing use of smelted copper, following the Neolithic (latter part of the Stone Age) and preceding the Bronze Age. It occurred at different times in different regions, with the earliest evidence of copper smelting dating back to around 5,000 BC in Serbia. In Britain, the Chalcolithic was a short period between 2,500 and 2,200 BC, marked by the arrival of Beaker culture people and the introduction of copper and gold objects.

Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III in the Sistine Chapel, October 2025.
Image thedialog.org

Five

In October 2025, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England prayed with Robert Francis Prevost on the Apennine Peninsula. Who is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and who is Robert Francis Prevost known as?

Answer: King Charles III and Pope Leo XIV

The reigning British monarch is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, currently King Charles III. Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago, is the first American pope. King Charles and Pope Leo met at the Vatican to pray together in the Sistine Chapel. It was the first occasion that the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and the Pope had prayed together since the reformation 500 years ago.

Bridge to Somewhere

Today we have five unrelated and unconnected questions.

The Öresund Bridge, which features in the Nordic noir television drama series The Bridge, carries European Route E20, see question 1.
Image Wikipedia

One

The European Route E20 stretches approximately 1,168 miles (1,880 km) from a river estuary airport in the west to the northernmost city of over a million people in the east. Which airport and city are these?

Two

A television medical drama that ran from October 1982 to May 1988 was set in St Elegius Hospital, Boston. What was its title?

Three

In what novel by Charles Dickens does Esther Summerson tell her own story in the past tense?

Four

The Chalcolithic period, an archaeological era, was primarily defined by a rise in the use of what specific material?

Five

In October 2025, the Supreme Governor of the Church of England prayed with Robert Francis Prevost on the Apennine Peninsula. Who is the Supreme Governor of the Church of England and who is Robert Francis Prevost known as?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Dress Sense—Answers

Here are the answers to the questions from my earlier post.

Ocelots are active especially during dawn and dusk.
Image Wikipedia

One

Which fictional character habitually wears a charcoal turtleneck, Harris Tweed jacket, khakis and collegiate cordovan loafers; and which author created him?

Answer: Robert Langdon (created by) Dan Brown

Robert Langdon, a fictional character created by author Dan Brown for his Robert Langdon book series: Angels & Demons (2000), The Da Vinci Code (2003), The Lost Symbol (2009), Inferno (2013), Origin (2017), and The Secret of Secrets (2025). He is a Harvard University professor of Religious Iconology and Symbology (a fictional field).

Tom Hanks portrays Langdon in the Robert Langdon film series; starting with the 2006 film adaptation of The Da Vinci Code, reprising the role in the 2009 film adaptation of Angels & Demons, and again in the 2016 film adaptation of Inferno, while Ashley Zukerman plays a younger version of the character in the 2021 TV series adaptation of The Lost Symbol.

Two

Is it true or false that in zoology, a crepuscular animal is one which lives on a seashore in the areas between the high and low tide marks?

Answer: False

In zoology, a crepuscular animal is one that is active primarily during the twilight period, being matutinal (active during dawn), vespertine/vespertinal (active during dusk), or both. This is distinguished from diurnal and nocturnal behaviour, where an animal is active during the hours of daytime and of night, respectively. Some crepuscular animals may also be active by moonlight or during an overcast day.

Stanley Baldwin.
Image The Spectator

Three

Who was the British prime minister at the time of the abdication crisis, when King Edward VIII renounced the throne?

Answer: Stanley Baldwin

Baldwin served as Prime Minister from May 1935 to June 1937. He held office under three kings: George V, his eldest son Edward VIII, who abdicated and was succeeded by his brother Albert, who took the regnal name King George VI.
In 1936, King Edward VIII’s proposed marriage to Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American, caused a constitutional crisis. The British government and the Church of England, of which the monarch is head, opposed the marriage. Consequently Edward abdicated in favour of his brother.

The Doors c. 1966: Jim Morrison (L), John Densmore (C), Robby Krieger (R), and Ray Manzarek (seated).
Image Wikipedia

Four

The Doors chose their band name from a 1954 work by what author (1894-1963)?

Answer: Aldous Huxley

Morrison took the band’s name from Aldous Huxley’s book on mescaline, The Doors of Perception (1954), which in turn refers to a line in a poem by Romantic artist and writer William Blake.
— Encyclopædia Britannica

Five

Can you name three players chosen for the European 2025 Ryder Cup team whose surnames begin with the same letter?

Answer: Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Højgaard and Viktor Hovland

The players are Ludvig Åberg, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Rasmus Højgaard, Viktor Hovland, Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre, Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm, Justin Rose and Sepp Straka.

Dress Sense

Here are five unrelated questions which are not connected by date, subject or theme.

King Edward VIII. Image Wikipedia

One

Which fictional character habitually wears a charcoal turtleneck, Harris Tweed jacket, khakis and collegiate cordovan loafers; and which author created him?

Two

Is it true or false that in zoology, a crepuscular animal is one which lives on a seashore in the areas between the high and low tide marks?

Three

Who was the British prime minister at the time of the abdication crisis, when King Edward VIII renounced the throne?

Four

The Doors chose their band name from a 1954 work by what author (1894-1963)?

Five

Can you name three players chosen for the European 2025 Ryder Cup team whose surnames begin with the same letter?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

Long to Reign Over Us—Answers

Queen Victoria.
Image Wikipedia

One

On 8 September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. Her reign was the longest of any monarch in the United Kingdom. Is it true or false that in a list of the longest reigning monarchs within the UK, Queen Victoria would be placed second and George III, third?

Answer: True

Elizabeth II reigned for 70 years, 214 days, while Victoria reigned for 63 years, 216 days, and George III for 59 years, 96 days.

George III.
Image Wikipedia

Two

Is this true or false that The Great Herding was a historical event in medieval Scotland which began on 8 September annually?

Answer: False

The Great Herding, or El Gran Arreo, began in 1888 when five settlers, led by Henry Jamieson, moved thousands of sheep hundreds of kilometres to Santa Cruz, Argentina, to establish large sheep farms.

Three

Is it true or false that on 8 September 1941, German and Finnish troops began a siege that would last 872 days?

Answer: True

The siege of Leningrad, lasting two years, four months, and nineteen days from 1941 to 1944, was a devastating blockade by Germany and Finland. It is renowned as the most destructive siege in history. Although Leningrad was never captured, the intentional starvation of its civilians resulted in an estimated 1.5 million deaths.

Michelangelo’s David.
Image Wikipedia

Four

Is this true or false that on this day in 1644, Michelangelo’s David was unveiled in the Piazza della Signoria, in Milan.

Answer: False

1644 and Milan are incorrect. Michelangelo’s 5.17-metre marble statue, David, was created between 1501 and 1504. On 8 September 1504, it was unveiled in Piazza della Signoria, Florence. Originally intended for Florence Cathedral, David became a symbol of civil liberties and was moved to the Galleria dell’Accademia in 1873.

The Man Trap (1966), Leonard Nimoy and William Shatner in Star Trek.
Image IMDB

Five

Is it true or false that the first episode of Star Trek premiered on American television on 8 September 1970?

Answer: False

The Man Trap, the first episode of Star Trek had premiered on NBC some four years earlier on 8 September 1966. The Man Trap follows Captain Kirk and his crew as they visit an outpost and encounter a shapeshifting alien.

Long to Reign Over Us

Today’s questions are related to today’s date, 8 September. The answers are either true or false.

Elizabeth II, 1959.
Image Wikipedia

One

On 8 September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom passed away at Balmoral Castle in Scotland after reigning for 70 years. Her reign was the longest of any monarch in the United Kingdom. Is it true or false that in a list of the longest reigning monarchs within the UK, Queen Victoria would be placed second and George III, third?

Two

Is it true or false that The Great Herding was a historical event in medieval Scotland which began on 8 September annually?

Three

Is it true or false that on 8 September 1941, German and Finnish troops began a siege that would last 872 days?

Four

Is it true or false that on this day in 1644, Michelangelo’s David was unveiled in the Piazza della Signoria, in Milan?

Five

Is it true or false that the first episode of Star Trek premiered on American television on 8 September 1970?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later.

Hawaii Five-0

The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

Official portrait of Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1959.
Image Wikipedia

One

On August 21st, Hawaii was officially proclaimed the 50th US state. Can you name the president who made this proclamation?

Answer: Dwight D. Eisenhower

Hawaii was officially proclaimed the 50th US state by President Dwight D. Eisenhower on 21 August 1959. Hawaii is an island state in the Pacific Ocean, consisting of 137 volcanic islands. It is the only US state not on the North American mainland and is known for its diverse culture, influenced by North American, East Asia and indigenous Hawaiian heritage. Hawaii’s economy, historically based on agriculture, has diversified to include tourism and military defence.

Mona Lisa.
Image Wikipedia

Two

Where was the Mona Lisa stolen from on this day in 1911?

Answer: The Louvre

The Mona Lisa was stolen from the Louvre in 1911 by Vincenzo Peruggia, who believed it should be returned to Italy. After keeping it for two years, Peruggia attempted to sell it and was caught, leading to the painting’s return to the Louvre in 1914.

Count Basie, Blazing Saddles, 1974.
Image

Three

Born 21 August 1904, an American musician who will, 70 years later, feature in a desert scene from Blazing Saddles. Who is he?

Answer: Count Basie

Count Basie plays himself in Mel Brooks 1974 film Blazing Saddles. He and his orchestra play April in Paris in the middle of the desert as Bart (Cleavon Little) rides towards Rock Ridge to assume the post of sheriff.

Princess Margaret, 1950.
Image Wikipedia

Four

Born on this day in 1930 at Glamis Castle, Scotland, this princess’s 1960 marriage would be the first royal wedding to be televised. Who is she?

Answer: Princess Margaret, Countess of Snowdon

Princess Margaret, born in 1930, was the second daughter of the Duke and Duchess of York, who, following the abdication of Edward VIII, became King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. Known for her independent spirit, she famously renounced her engagement to Peter Townsend due to his divorce. A celebrated socialite, she was the Countess of Snowdon and had a glamorous lifestyle with notable romances. Margaret married Antony Armstrong-Jones in 1960, but their marriage ended in divorce in 1978, marking the first royal divorce in 400 years.

Dumbarton Oaks, Washington D.C., 1999.
Image US Library of Congress via Wikipedia

Five

The Dumbarton Oaks Conference, opening on 21 August 1944, was instrumental in the founding of what?

Answer: United Nations

The ‘Allied Big Four’ (UK, US, USSR, Republic of China) formulated the new international organisation at the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in 1944. The Yalta Conference in 1945 and further negotiations with the Soviet Union resolved all issues.

Hawaii Five-0

All the questions are related to today, August 21st.

Flag of Hawaii.
Image Wikipedia

One

On August 21st, Hawaii was officially proclaimed the 50th US state. Can you name the president who made this proclamation?

Two

Where was the Mona Lisa stolen from on this day in 1911?

Three

Born 21 August 1904, an American musician who, 70 years later, will feature in a desert scene from Blazing Saddles. Who is he?

Four

Born on this day in 1930 at Glamis Castle, Scotland, this princess’s 1960 marriage would be the first royal wedding to be televised. Who is she?

Five

The Dumbarton Oaks Conference, opening on 21 August 1944, was instrumental in the founding of what?

Good luck! I’ll post the answers later today.

Double, double toil and trouble—Answers

Macbeth and Banquo meeting the witches on the heath by
Théodore Chassériau (1819–1856).
Image Wikipedia

One

On 14 August, King Duncan I of Scotland was killed in battle by his cousin, Macbeth, who then succeeded him. This event occurred in the what century?

 — Answer: 11th century

Unlike the ‘King Duncan’ of Shakespeare’s Macbeth, the historical Duncan appears to have been a young man. After his grandfather Malcolm’s death on 25 November 1034, Duncan succeeded him as king without apparent opposition. In August 1040, Duncan led an army into Moray, Macbeth’s domain, and was killed in action at the Battle of Bothnagowan.

Two

In the 1995 made-for-television movie, Catherine Zeta-Jones plays Sophie, a young Prussian princess who marries an immature future Tsar. The film’s title is what Sophie eventually becomes known as. What is the film’s title?

 — Answer: Catherine the Great

Catherine the Great, reigning empress of Russia from 1762 to 1796, modernised the country, expanded its territory, and fostered a cultural renaissance. Despite her Enlightenment ideals, serfdom persisted, leading to rebellions. Catherine’s reign saw the founding of cities, universities, and theatres, and the establishment of Russia as a great power.

The Lion in Winter (1968)
Image The MovieDB

Three

Katharine Hepburn won the best actress Oscar for her role as Henry II’s queen in this 1968 film. What was the film and what was the queen’s name?

 — Answer: The Lion in Winter and Eleanor of Aquitaine

The play is set at Christmas 1183 at Henry II of England’s castle in Chinon, France. It follows the power struggles between Henry, his wife Eleanor, their sons, and the King of France, Philip II Augustus.

Four

In this 2023 film, Catherine Walker plays an Archduchess of Austria who becomes the French Queen, while Vanessa Kirby is an Empress Consort and first wife of the title character. What is the film?

 — Answer: *Napoleon *

Ridley Scott’s 2023 film Napoleon, starring Joaquin Phoenix and Vanessa Kirby, depicts the French leader’s rise to power and his relationship with Joséphine. The film received mixed reviews, praised for its battle sequences and performances but criticised for its pacing and historical accuracy.

W.E. film poster (2011).Image Sens Critique

Five 

Madonna’s 2011 film W.E. is a historical romance involving what 20th-century royal couple?

 — Answer: King Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson (who became the Duke and Duchess of Windsor)

Edward VIII’s relationship with Wallis Simpson, a twice-divorced American, caused a constitutional crisis. Despite attempts to find a solution, including a morganatic marriage, the Church of England and most politicians opposed the union. Edward chose to abdicate the throne on 11 December 1936, prioritising his love for Simpson over his royal duties.

We Have All the Time in the World | Answers

The answers to my earlier post are shown below.

One

Burkina Faso, an African country, changed to that name on August 4, 1984. What was its name prior to that?

Answer: Republic of Upper Volta

This landlocked West African country, which had been a French colony, gained full independence in 1960 and changed its name to Burkina Faso on this day in 1984.

Two

On this day in 1944, following a tip from an informer the Gestapo search a warehouse and find and arrest Jewish diarist Anne Frank, her family, and four others. In what city was the warehouse located?

Answer: Amsterdam

Diarist Anne Frank (Annelies Marie Frank), a German-born Jewish girl, documented her life in hiding during the German occupation of the Netherlands in a diary. After being arrested by the Gestapo and transported to concentration camps, Anne and her sister Margot died in Bergen-Belsen, likely from typhus. Her diary, published posthumously by her father Otto, became a global bestseller and a powerful testament to the Holocaust. The warehouse, offices and secret annex are now a museum, Anne Frank House.

Three

An actor born today in 1955, played Dan Truman, a NASA executive, in Armageddon (1998) and Davy Crockett in The Alamo (2004). Who is he?

Answer: Billy Bob Thornton

Billy Bob Thornton is an American actor, filmmaker, singer, and songwriter. He gained international attention for his work in Sling Blade and has since appeared in numerous films and television series, winning several awards including an Academy Award and Golden Globes. Thornton is also a musician, having released four solo albums and performing with the Boxmasters.

Four

The last Empress of India was born 4 August 1900 in England. What was here name, and her primary title between December 1936 and February 1952?

Answer: Elizabeth and Her Majesty the Queen

Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon, born on 4 August 1900, reigned as Queen of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 to 6 February 1952, as the wife of King George VI.  She held the title of Empress of India from 1936 until the dissolution of the British Raj on 15 August 1947. Following her husband’s passing, she was officially known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother to distinguish her from her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II.

Five

A man described by Encyclopædia Britannica as…

a prolifically gifted natural musician and the leading trumpeter in jazz history

…was born 4 august 1901. Almost seven decades later he sang We Have All the Time in the World in a Bond film. Who was he?

Answer: Louis Armstrong

Louis Armstrong, a highly influential American jazz trumpeter and vocalist, was born in New Orleans and rose to prominence in the 1920s. He shifted jazz’s focus from collective improvisation to solo performance and became an international icon by the 1950s. We Have All the Time in the World” was featured on the soundtrack of the James Bondfilm _On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.