Can You Name These Important Monarchs From a Painting?

By: J.P. Naomi
Estimated Completion Time
5 min
Can You Name These Important Monarchs From a Painting?
Image: Wiki Commons

About This Quiz

Break out the oil paint and canvas! Or are you more of a watercolor painter yourself? Either way, you're in luck, because there's no artistic talent required with this quiz! It's all in your history smarts! Think you have what it takes to name these famous monarchs based solely on one of their paintings? It's time to find out!

From the earliest of times, Kings, Queens, and Emperors alike have been memorialized in a painting, oftentimes more than one painting! Artists would line up with the hope of being chosen to paint the royal leader of their country. And while some were lauded, others mocked. History shows its collection of favorite paintings and spares no mercy on the worst portrayals! 

But no matter how great or terrible these paintings were, one thing was for certain. They never smiled! I suppose you wouldn't either if you had all of that responsibility! Or perhaps it just wasn't culturally-sound do to so. Perhaps they just didn't know what "CHEEESE!" was yet!

Well, smile or no smile, it's time for you to gear up and test your royal painting skills. If you can name all of these important monarchs, we'll crown you King or Queen of this quiz! Don that beret and away we go!

Queen Elizabeth II statue
Wiki commons
Who is the present-day monarch seen in this painting?
Queen Caroline
Queen Elizabeth II
Queen Elizabeth II was born in London​ and was the first child of the Duke and Duchess of York, later known as King George VI and Queen Elizabeth. She has four children with Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh: Charles, Prince of Wales; Anne, Princess Royal; Andrew, Duke of York; and Edward, Earl of Wessex.
Princess Diana
Queen Victoria III

Advertisement

Anne Boleyn
WikiCommons
Who is the English monarch seen in this painting?
Anne the Great
Caroline of Edinburgh
Anne Boleyn
Anne Boleyn was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536 as the second wife of King Henry VIII. She has been called "the most influential and important queen consort England has ever had," as she provided the occasion for Henry VIII to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon and declare the Church of England's independence from Rome.
Carlota

Advertisement

Queen Victoria
Wiki Commons
Who is the British monarch seen in this painting?
Queen Latifa
Katherine
Queen Victoria
Victoria was born on June 20, 1827, and became Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from June 20, 1837, until her death. She also adopted the title of Empress of India.
Charlotte

Advertisement

King Henry VIII
Youtube
Who is the Tudor monarch seen in this painting?
King Henry VIII
Henry VIII succeeded his father, Henry VII, as King of England from April 21, 1509, until his death. He was only the second monarch from the House of Tudor - an English royal house of Welsh.
King Hamad bin Isa
King Philippe
Emperor Akihito

Advertisement

King George II of Great Britain
Godfrey Kneller
Who is the King of Greece seen in this painting?
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah
King Abdullah
Albert II
King George
George I, also known as Georgios I, was actually born Prince William of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg in Copenhagen, Denmark. He ruled Greece from 1863 until his assassination in 1913.

Advertisement

Ludwig III
Wiki Commons
Who is the Bavarian monarch seen in this painting?
King Vajiralongkorn
King Tupou VI
Ludwig III
Ludwig Luitpold Josef Maria Aloys Alfried went by Ludwig III. He was the last King of Bavaria, reigning from 1913 to 1918.
King Felipe VI

Advertisement

Louis XVI of France
Youtube
Who is the French monarch seen in this painting?
King Louis XVI
Louis XVI was born at the Palace of Versailles, France on August 23, 1754. Did you know that he was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution?
George IV
King Mohammed VI
King Carl XVI Gustaf

Advertisement

Charles II of England
Wiki Commons
Who is the English monarch seen in this painting?
King Charles II
Charles II was not just the King of England, he was also King of Scotland and Ireland. He actually came from the House of Stuart, a European royal house that originated in Scotland.
King Letsie III
King Abdullah II
Alexander II of Russia

Advertisement

anne of denmark
Jim Linwood via Wikimedia Commons
Who is the Danish monarch seen in this painting?
Katherine
Cleopatra
Anne of Denmark
Anne of Denmark was Queen of Scotland, England, and Ireland by marriage to King James VI and I. She was crowned on May 17, 1590.
Maria Theresa

Advertisement

Macbeth
YouTube
Who is the Scottish monarch seen in this painting?
Harald V of Norway
Peter II
Macbeth
Macbeth was nicknamed "the Red King." He was King of Scots from 1040 until his death. He was titled King of Alba during his life.
Alexander II of Russia

Advertisement

Catherine the Great
n/a
Who is the Russian Empress seen in this painting?
Jadwiga of Poland
Hatshepsut
Liluokalani
Catherine the Great
Also known as Yekaterina Alekseyevna in Russian, Catherine the Great was the Empress of Russia from 1762 - 1796. She was the country's longest-ruling female leader.

Advertisement

Queen Charlotte
Wiki Commons
Who is the monarch seen in this painting?
Queen Charlotte
Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz became Queen of Great Britain and Ireland following her marriage to King George III in 1761. She loved the arts and was an amateur botanist!
Princess Diana
Margaret I of Denmark
Razia Sultana

Advertisement

Alexander the Great
Wiki Commons
Who is the monarch seen in this painting?
Paul I
Alexander the Great
Less known as Alexander III of Macedon, Alexander the Great was king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon from 336 - 323 BC. He later became Pharaoh of Egypt, King of Persia, and Lord of Asia!
Harald V
Francis I

Advertisement

Queen Elizabeth I of England
YouTube
Who is the monarch seen in this painting?
Queen Elizabeth I
Elizabeth I was Queen of England and Ireland from November 17, 1558 until her death on March 24, 1603. Did you know she was also called The Virgin Queen?
Carlota
Cleopatra
Wu Zetian

Advertisement

Francis I
Wiki Commons
Who is the French monarch seen in this painting?
George III
Henry VI
Francis I
Francis I was the first King of France from the Angoulême branch of the House of Valois. He reigned from 1515 until his death, succeeding his cousin and father-in-law,​ Louis XII.
Alfred the Great

Advertisement

Emporere Leopold I
Wiki Commons
Who is the Holy Roman Emperor seen in this painting?
Philip III
George III
Emperor Leopold I
Leopold Ignaz Joseph Balthasar Felician was born in Vienna, Austria, on June 9, 1640. He was the Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary, Croatia and Bohemia from 1658 - 1705, and was married three times during his reign.
James III

Advertisement

James II Trafalgar Square
Ham via Wikimedia Commons
Who is the English monarch seen in this painting?
King James II
James II was King of England and Ireland, and later became the King of Scotland as James VII. He was the last Roman Catholic monarch of England, Scotland and Ireland.
Haile Selassie
Paul I of Russia
Alexandria III

Advertisement

George III
Wiki commons
Who is the British monarch seen in this painting?
King George III
George III was the King of Great Britain and King of Ireland until the two countries united. And then he was known as the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. He was the third British monarch from the House of Hanover.
Olav V
Napoleon III
Moshoeshoe II

Advertisement

Maximillian
Wiki Commons
Who is the Roman Emperor seen in this painting?
King Frederik VII
Philip II
Emperor Maximilian I
Maximilian I was King of the Romans, as well as the Germans, beginning in 1486. During his reign, he also became the Holy Roman Emperor, though he was never actually crowned by the Pope - it is said that the journey to Rome was always too risky.
Macbeth

Advertisement

King Philip IV
Wiki Commons
Who is the Spanish monarch seen in this painting?
King Frederik VII
William I
King Arthur
King Philip IV
Philip IV was the King of Spain from 1621 - 1665. He reigned over Spain during the Thirty Years' War which was fought between 1618 and 1648.

Advertisement

Ivan_the_Terrible
Wiki Commons
Who is the Russian monarch seen in this painting?
Charles XIV
Rainier III
Louis VIX
Ivan the Terrible
Ivan IV Vasilyevich​ was also known as Ivan the Terrible or Ivan the Fearsome. He was the Grand Prince of Moscow from 1533 to 1547, and then Tsar of All the Russias until his death in 1584.

Advertisement

Ferdinand II
Wiki Commons
Who is the Spanish monarch seen in this painting?
Richard I
King Ferdinand II
Ferdinand II was nicknamed The Catholic. He ruled over present-day Spain from 1475 until his death in 1516. He was the son of John II of Aragon and Navarre and Juana Enríquez.
William I
Edward I

Advertisement

Queen Christina
Wiki Commons
Who is the Danish monarch seen in this painting?
Queen Christina
Christina was born in Nyborg in central Denmark in 1521. She died at the age of 69 in 1590. She a member of the House of Oldenburg, and was the daughter of Christian II of Denmark and Isabella of Austria.
Queen Elizabeth II
Maria Theresa
Empress Matilda

Advertisement

Who is the Danish monarch seen in this painting?
Wiki commons
Who is the Danish monarch seen in this painting?
Olav V
Francis I
King Frederick VII
Frederick VII was the King of Denmark from 1848 to 1863. He was the last Danish monarch of the older Royal branch of the House of Oldenburg and also the last king of Denmark to rule as an absolute monarch.
King Charles II

Advertisement

Queen_Caroline_of_Brunswick
Wiki Commons
Who is the English monarch seen in this painting?
Carlota
Queen Mariana
Queen Caroline
Caroline of Brunswick was the Queen of the United Kingdom by marriage to King George IV from January 29, 1820, until her death in 1821. She was the Princess of Wales from 1795 to 1820 - a title later held by Princess Diana.
Queen Charlotte I

Advertisement

King Ferdinand VII
Wiki Commons
Who is the Spanish monarch seen in this painting?
Nicholas II
Rudolf II
King Ferdinand VII
Ferdinand VII was King of Spain two separate times, once in 1808 and again from 1813 to his death. He was known to his supporters as "The Desired" and to his detractors as the "Felon King."
Napoléon Bonaparte

Advertisement

Queen Mariana
Wiki Commons
Who is the Spanish monarch seen in this painting?
Catherine the Great
Princess Diana
Queen Charlotte
Queen Mariana
Although she became Queen of Spain from 1649 - 1665, Mariana was born in Austria. The Mariana Islands in the North Pacific Ocean are named after her.

Advertisement

William I the German Emperor
Wiki Commons
Who is the English monarch seen in this painting?
George IV
Peter the Great
Augustus Caesar
William I
Born in Normandy, William I of England was also known as William the Conqueror. He was the first Norman King of England and later the Duke of Normandy from 1035 until his death.

Advertisement

Edward I
Wiki Commons
Who is the long-legged monarch seen in this painting?
Emperor Leopold I
King Charles II
Edward I
Edward I of England was also known as "Longshanks" - meaning long legs! He was King of England from 1272 until his death in 1307. He came from the House of Plantagenet.
King Ferdinand VII

Advertisement

Richard I
Wiki commons
Who is the Lionheart monarch seen in this painting?
Richard I
Richard was the third son of Henry II of England and Eleanor of Aquitaine. He was never expected to inherit the throne, however, he did so in 1189 and led England until 1199. He was nicknamed Richard the Lionheart.
Ludwig III
Macbeth
Emperor Leopold I

Advertisement

Henry V
Wiki Commons
Who is the English monarch seen in this painting?
Oscar II
Juan Carlos
Henry V
Born in Monmouth, Wales, Henry V of England was King of England from 1413 - 1422. While he was king, he increased his own power to include reign over France, defeating France at the Battle of Agincourt in 1415.
Alexander the Great

Advertisement

George V
Wiki Commons
Who is the English monarch seen in this painting?
King Peter the Great
Prince Henry
Prince William
George V
King George V came from the House of Windsor and the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. His full name was George Frederick Ernest Albert and he ruled from 1910 - 1936.

Advertisement

King_Alfred_(The_Great)
Wiki Commons
Who is "the great" monarch seen in this painting?
Oscar II
Edward III
Ivan the Terrible
King Alfred
King Alfred was also known as Alfred the Great. He was the King of Wessex from 871 - 899. Wessex was an Anglo-Saxon kingdom in the south of Great Britain from 519 until the early 10th century.

Advertisement

King Arthur
Wiki Commons
Who is the legendary British monarch seen in this painting?
King Arthur
King Arthur is a legendary British leader who, according to medieval histories and romances, led Britain against Saxon invaders in the late 5th - early 6th centuries AD. Anyone familiar with The Round Table?
Louis XIV
William the Conqueror
Haakon VII

Advertisement

Philip II of Spain
Sofonisba Anguissola
Who is the Spanish monarch seen in this painting?
Louis XIII
James IV of Scotland
Philip II
Philip II was not only the King of Spain, Portugal and the Algarves, he also became King of England and Ireland during his marriage to Queen of Mary I from 1554 - 1558! He was succeeded by Philip III.
Edward V

Advertisement

Edward VII
Wiki Commons
Who is the British monarch seen in this painting?
King Edward VII
Edward VII was the eldest son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He reigned over the United Kingdom from 1901 until his death in 1841. He is buried at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle.
Rudolf II
Ivan the Terrible
King Ferdinand VII

Advertisement

George VI (1936 - 1952)
n/a
Who is the British monarch seen in this painting?
Emperor Maximilian I
King George VI
Born Albert Frederick Arthur George, King George VI was the King of the United Kingdom from 1895 until 1952. He was also the last Emperor of India and the first Head of the Commonwealth - a position now held by Queen Elizabeth II.
Augustus Caeser
King Philip IV

Advertisement

Louis XIV
Wiki Commons
Who is the "great" French monarch seen in this painting?
King Louis XIV
Louis XIV was nicknamed Louis the God-Given, Louis the Great as well as the Sun King. He was King of France from May 14, 1643, until his death on September 1, 1715.
King George III
King Henry VIII
King Charles II

Advertisement

Maria_Theresa
Wiki Commons
Who is the monarch seen in this painting?
Lady Jane Grey
Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was born on May 13, 1717. She died at the age of 63 on November 29, 1780. She was born and died at the same place, Hofburg Palace, Vienna, Austria.
Queen Victora
Empress Matilda

Advertisement

Peter the Great
Wiki Commons
Who is the Russian monarch seen in this painting?
Peter the Great
Peter the Great was also known as Peter Alexeyevich. He was born on June 9, 1672, in Moscow to his parents, Alexis of Russia and Natalya Naryshkina. He ruled over Russia from 1682 until 1725.
Edward I
Henry VII
Juan Carlos I

Advertisement

Francis_Joseph_I_of_Austria
Wiki Commons
Who is the Austrian monarch seen in this painting?
Nicholas II
Oscar II of Sweden
Francis Joseph I
Francis Joseph I was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and monarch of other states in the Austro-Hungarian Empire from 1848 to his death in 1916. He was the 3rd-longest-reigning monarch of any country in European history.
William III

Advertisement

Nicolas II
Wiki Commons
Who is the Russian monarch seen in this painting?
Macbeth
King George
Nicholas II
Nicholas II was the last Emperor of Russia! He ruled from November 1, 1894, until his forced abdication on March 15, 1917. After the monarchy was abolished, Georgy Lvov took control as Chairman of the Provisional Government.
Henry VIII

Advertisement

Henry VI of England
Wiki Commons
Who is the English monarch seen in this painting?
King Ferdinand II
King Ferdinand VII
Philip II
Henry VI
Henry VI was the only child of Henry V. He succeeded the throne at the age of nine months upon his father's death, though he was not crowned King until his 18th birthday in 1422.

Advertisement

James I
Wiki Commons
Who is the English monarch seen in this painting?
King Louis XVI
Francis I
Emperor Maximilian I
King James I
Did you know that James I of England was the first monarch to be called the King of Great Britain? He was born in Edinburgh Castle, Scotland, in 1566 and died at Theobalds House in England in 1625.

Advertisement

Rudolf_II
Wiki Commons
Who is the Holy Roman Emperor seen in this painting?
Rudolf II
Rudolf II was a member of the House of Habsburg. He was the Holy Roman Emperor from 1576 - 1612. He was also the King of Germany, Bohemia, Hungary and Croatia.
Prince William
Charles II
George V

Advertisement

Carlota
Wiki Commons
Who is the monarch seen in this painting?
Christina
Katherine
Carlota
Princess Charlotte of Belgium was more commonly known as Empress Carlota of Mexico. She was a Belgian princess who became Empress of Mexico from 1840 - 1927 after marrying Emperor Maximilian I of Mexico.
Diana

Advertisement

Ludwig_II
Wiki Commons
Who is the Bavarian monarch seen in this painting?
King Frederik VII
Ludwig II
Ludwig II was the King of Bavaria from 1864 until his death in 1886. He is sometimes referred to as the Swan King. He also held the titles of Count Palatine of the Rhine, Duke of Bavaria, Duke of Franconia, and Duke in Swabia.
Richard I
King George VI

Advertisement

Augustus Caesar
shutterstock
Who is the Roman monarch seen in this painting?
Augustus Caesar
Augustus Caesar was the founder of the Roman Principate and considered the first Roman emperor. He controlled the Roman Empire from 27 BC until his death in AD 14.
Richard I
William I
Edward I

Advertisement

Gustav_II_Adolf_of_Sweden
Wiki Commons
Who is the Swedish monarch seen in this painting?
George V
King Louis XIV
King James I
Gustav II Adolf
Gustav II Adolph was the King of Sweden from 1611 to 1632. He is credited as the founder of Sweden as a Great Power who led Sweden during the Thirty Years' War.

Advertisement

You Got:
/49
Wiki Commons