Lesson 2A.1.1

2A.1.1 The reign of Henry II, 1154–1189 Quiz: AQA History, Unit 12

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 2A.1.1, The reign of Henry II, 1154–1189: 20 multiple choice questions for the AQA History (7042), Unit 12: 2A Royal Authority and the Angevin Kings, 1154–1216, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. Which dynasty began with Henry II's accession to the English throne in 1154?

    • The Tudor dynasty
    • The Plantagenet, or Angevin, dynasty
    • The House of Blois
    • The Norman dynasty

  2. What was the main purpose of the Constitutions of Clarendon of 1164?

    • To create a parliament of barons with power to tax
    • To transfer Normandy to the Papacy
    • To define royal rights over the clergy and limit church courts
    • To grant the Church full control over the English courts

  3. Where was Thomas Becket murdered in December 1170?

    • Westminster Abbey
    • Rouen Cathedral
    • Canterbury Cathedral
    • York Minster

  4. Which 1166 measure introduced a system of juries of presentment to identify suspected criminals?

    • The Treaty of Windsor
    • The Assize of Clarendon
    • The Grand Assize
    • The Constitutions of Clarendon

  5. Which of Henry II's sons led the rebellion that began in 1173?

    • Henry the Young King, who was crowned during his father's lifetime
    • Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany
    • John, the youngest son
    • Richard, later Richard I

  6. Which 1175 agreement recognised Henry II as overlord in Ireland, with the Irish king Ruaidri acknowledging his authority?

    • The Treaty of Westminster
    • The Treaty of Le Goulet
    • The Treaty of Windsor
    • The Treaty of Falaise

  7. Which 1174 treaty ended the Scottish king William I's involvement in the Great Rebellion?

    • The Treaty of Falaise
    • The Treaty of Windsor
    • The Treaty of Westminster
    • The Treaty of Le Goulet

  8. What did Henry II gain through his marriage to Eleanor of Aquitaine in 1152?

    • The duchy of Burgundy and its wealthy towns
    • The county of Flanders and its textile industry
    • The crown of Castile and Leon in northern Spain
    • Control of Aquitaine, a large area of south-western France

  9. How did Henry II respond to the murder of Thomas Becket?

    • He annexed the archbishopric of Canterbury to the royal domain
    • He publicly did penance at Canterbury and accepted the Church's demands
    • He ordered the Church courts in England to be closed for ever
    • He crowned his son as co-king in order to secure the succession

  10. Why was the Great Rebellion of 1173-74 especially dangerous for Henry II?

    • It combined his sons, his wife, the French king and the Scottish king against him
    • It was led only by Welsh princes who had recently been defeated
    • It was caused by a famine that destroyed the royal treasury
    • It was confined to a single county and quickly suppressed

  11. What did barons pay to the king through scutage instead of providing knights for military service?

    • Land in exchange for their knights' service
    • A money payment in place of personal military service
    • Tithes collected by the Church on the royal estates
    • Forced labour on royal castles and roads

  12. Which royal institution, which kept accounts using a chequered cloth, developed royal finance under Henry II?

    • The Court of Star Chamber
    • The Court of Common Pleas in Westminster Hall
    • The Privy Council
    • The Exchequer

  13. Which 1179 reform allowed a land dispute to be heard by a royal court before a jury of twelve men?

    • The Constitutions of Clarendon
    • The Assize of Northampton
    • The Grand Assize
    • The Inquest of Sheriffs

  14. Which best explains why the Becket crisis damaged Henry II's authority?

    • It showed how his confrontation with the Church could turn a dispute over courts into a murder and a loss of prestige
    • It cost him the support of the Pope and all of his English barons immediately
    • It allowed the Church to claim jurisdiction over all crimes committed by laymen in England
    • It forced him to abdicate the English throne in 1171

  15. What was a major weakness in Henry II's position at his accession in 1154?

    • The English Parliament had voted to abolish the monarchy in 1153
    • Royal authority had been eroded during the civil war of Stephen's reign, with castles and revenues lost to the barons
    • The Scottish king had annexed the northern counties of England
    • The Pope had already excommunicated him for seizing Normandy

  16. Where did Henry II die on 6 July 1189?

    • Rouen
    • Fontevraud
    • Chinon
    • Winchester

  17. Which French king gave active support to Henry II's rebellious sons in 1173?

    • Philip II Augustus
    • Philip IV
    • Louis VII
    • Louis IX

  18. Which best explains how the Angevin empire made royal authority harder to govern?

    • The English Parliament refused to meet unless the king was present in person
    • Henry had to balance English, Norman, Angevin and Aquitanian interests, which spread his time and resources
    • The king could only rule England from Normandy and had no authority in France
    • The Church was given control of all royal lands in France

  19. Which best evaluates the restoration of royal authority under Henry II between 1154 and 1166?

    • It was a substantial success, achieved through royal finance, justice and the reduction of baronial power
    • It was a complete failure, since the barons kept every castle they had seized
    • It depended almost entirely on the Pope's support against the barons
    • It was achieved mainly through the Church, which took over all royal courts

  20. Which papal bull, issued in 1155, was cited as justification for Henry II's intervention in Ireland?

    • Exsurge Domine
    • Quo primum
    • Unam sanctam
    • Laudabiliter

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