Royals who vanished
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Royals Who Vanished — Daily trivia Monday, April 13, 2026: questions and answers
All 10 questions with answers and explanations. Play this daily
Q 01Which two young princes disappeared from the Tower of London?
- AHenry VI and Edward of Westminster
- BEdward V and Richard, Duke of York
- CArthur Tudor and Henry VIII
- DEdward IV and George, Duke of Clarence
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Edward V and Richard, Duke of York
Edward V and his younger brother, Richard, Duke of York, were placed in the Tower of London by their uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester (later Richard III), and never seen again. Their fate remains one of England's most enduring mysteries.
Q 02Which son of Henry I vanished when the White Ship sank off Barfleur?
- AWilliam Adelin
- BStephen of Blois
- CGeoffrey Plantagenet
- DRobert Curthose
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William Adelin
William Adelin, the only legitimate son of Henry I, drowned when the White Ship sank. His death led to the succession crisis known as 'The Anarchy', as Henry's attempts to secure the throne for his daughter Matilda largely failed.
Q 03What kept the fate of Louis XVII, 'the Lost Dauphin', a mystery despite reports of his death?
- AHe was secretly sent to the New World.
- BNumerous individuals later claimed to be him.
- CHis body was never buried.
- DHe was last seen boarding a ship to England.
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Numerous individuals later claimed to be him.
Louis XVII died in the Temple prison in June 1795, but rumours of a rescue meant numerous individuals later claimed to be him; tests on his preserved heart settled it in 2000.
Q 04Which Bavarian 'Fairy Tale King', builder of Neuschwanstein, was found dead in Lake Starnberg?
- AKing Rupprecht
- BKing Maximilian II
- CKing Otto I
- DKing Ludwig II
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King Ludwig II
King Ludwig II's death was ruled a suicide by drowning, but the simultaneous death of his psychiatrist and the lack of water in his lungs fed lasting theories of murder or a botched escape.
Q 05Which Portuguese king vanished at Alcácer Quibir, spawning a belief he would return to save Portugal?
- ASebastian I
- BPhilip II
- CManuel I
- DJohn II
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Sebastian I
King Sebastian I of Portugal disappeared during a disastrous crusade in North Africa, and his body was never conclusively identified. This fueled 'Sebastianism,' a millenarian myth that he would return to Portugal in a time of crisis.
Q 06Which second Ming emperor's death was never confirmed after his uncle's Jingnan Campaign, fuelling monk rumours?
- AHongwu Emperor
- BYongle Emperor
- CJianwen Emperor
- DXuande Emperor
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Jianwen Emperor
The Jianwen Emperor was reported dead in the palace fire when his uncle Zhu Di took the capital, but a legend that he escaped to live as a Buddhist monk spread for centuries.
Q 07Which 'heretic' pharaoh moved Egypt's capital to Amarna and promoted monotheism?
- AAkhenaten
- BRamesses II
- CThutmose III
- DTutankhamun
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Akhenaten
Akhenaten's reign, focused on worship of the Aten, ended mysteriously. A mummy from KV55 is widely believed to be him, but its identification, the circumstances of his death and the later erasure of his legacy remain debated.
Q 08Which Merovingian king was deposed in 751, tonsured and shut in a monastery?
- AClovis I
- BDagobert I
- CChilderic III
- DChlodovech IV
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Childeric III
Childeric III, the last Merovingian, was deposed by Pepin the Short in 751; cutting his long hair, the symbol of his dynasty, stripped him of royal power before he was confined to Saint-Bertin.
Q 09What became of Romulus Augustulus, the last Western Roman Emperor, after Odoacer deposed him?
- AHe was executed and his body publicly displayed.
- BHe was sent to live in a villa and largely vanished from historical record.
- CHe led a rebellion to reclaim the throne.
- DHe fled to the Eastern Roman Empire.
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He was sent to live in a villa and largely vanished from historical record.
Odoacer spared Romulus Augustulus: he was sent to live in a villa, the Castellum Lucullanum near Naples, with a pension, and largely vanished from historical record.
Q 10By what name is Edward III's second son known, born in Yorkshire and buried at York Minster in infancy?
- ALionel of Antwerp
- BThomas of Woodstock
- CJohn of Eltham
- DWilliam of Hatfield
Show answer
William of Hatfield
William of Hatfield (1336-1337) was born at Hatfield Manor House near Doncaster and buried at York Minster on 10 February 1337; his tomb effigy still survives in the north quire aisle.
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