Poll : Do you know what year Henry VIII was born

[didds]

I was gonna let the poll run on a bit more but its sort of proved a point I was wondering about

So yes - this WAS a question in a citizenship test. Im on the side of those that have queried what relevance knowing that date has to living in Britain in 2022...

I wasn't actually bothered if people had a CORRECT date - I was more interested in those that didn't have a clue other than maybe a wild stab (like me) - my reckoning is that Shakespeare wrote Macbeth very early in James 1/VI reign in the very very early 17th century which meant Liz I was around late 16th century which means her dad must have popped his clogs circa mid 16th century so would have been born early 16th/late 15th century.

Thanks all for assuaging my curiosity.

The actual year of his birth was 1491 - so of the four that said they did know it, purely out of interest were you correct? (without having googled it before answering )

didds

[Maroochydore]

28 June 1491

[chrissyr]

I just waited for this post then will vote yes!

[servodude]

In 1492
- Columbus sailed the ocean blue
I'm sure he must'a had lots of fun
- Henry the 8th was only one

I'll remember it now

-sd

[Hallucigenia]

In 1492
- Columbus sailed the ocean blue
I'm sure he must'a had lots of fun
- Henry the 8th was only one

I'll remember it now

-sd

In 1492
- Columbus sailed the ocean blue
Wearing nowt but a bikini
Henry VIII was only three

In 1492
- Columbus sailed the ocean blue
With a massive stash of porn
Henry VIII was not yet born

No you won't....

[Eboli]

I did not know the date at first but I remebered he was 18 when he became king and happened to remember that was 1509. The rest was arithmetic.

Eb

[Fluke]

I guessed he was in his mid 30's to 40 when he was busy closing down the monasteries which was 1536 so I went with 1497 and answered yes in the hope that the examiner might allow a bit of wiggle room either side.

[pje16]

I guessed he was in his mid 30's to 40 when he was busy closing down the monasteries which was 1536 so I went with 1497 and answered yes in the hope that the examiner might allow a bit of wiggle room either side.

Given his size he probably needed a bit of a wiggle to make his entrance to the world

[UncleEbenezer]

I did not know the date at first but I remebered he was 18 when he became king and happened to remember that was 1509. The rest was arithmetic.

Eb

Your memory goes back more than 500 years? That's beyond turtle, let alone human!

You are an ancient tree, AICMFP.

[swill453]

So yes - this WAS a question in a citizenship test. Im on the side of those that have queried what relevance knowing that date has to living in Britain in 2022...

I presume the Scottish version of this test wouldn't be so crass as to ask such a question?

(Or maybe it would. TBH I can't see it asking about William Wallace. Freedom!)

Scott.

[redsturgeon]

Yes these tests are nonsense. My daughter will be sitting the French one some time next year, I guess that will be just as ridiculous.

Might as well line everyone up, ask them to put some pencils up their nose, a pair of underpants on their head and say "wibble!"

John

[didds]

So yes - this WAS a question in a citizenship test. Im on the side of those that have queried what relevance knowing that date has to living in Britain in 2022...

I presume the Scottish version of this test wouldn't be so crass as to ask such a question?

(Or maybe it would. TBH I can't see it asking about William Wallace. Freedom!)

Scott.

Indeed Scott. I wonder if there ARE such things as a scots/Welsh/NI version or its "all British innit?".

[swill453]

its "all British innit?".

Like our Henry?

Scott.

[Fluke]

Might as well line everyone up, ask them to put some pencils up their nose, a pair of underpants on their head and say "wibble!"

John

Possibly my favourite episode of any programme ever, watched it again the other night on iplayer, but I digress.

[BigB]

Yes these tests are nonsense. My daughter will be sitting the French one some time next year, I guess that will be just as ridiculous.

Might as well line everyone up, ask them to put some pencils up their nose, a pair of underpants on their head and say "wibble!"

John

You'd have to be paying attention though, they'd probably only say it once.

[BobbyD]

I guessed he was in his mid 30's to 40 when he was busy closing down the monasteries which was 1536 so I went with 1497 and answered yes in the hope that the examiner might allow a bit of wiggle room either side.

A skilled bluffer has ones that look a bit like 7s and sevens that look a bit like ones...

[Hallucigenia]

(Or maybe it would. TBH I can't see it asking about William Wallace. Freedom!)

Scott.

Indeed Scott. I wonder if there ARE such things as a scots/Welsh/NI version or its "all British innit?".

Actually I commented at the time about how careful the citizenship test is to pander to the Celtic fringe. It's obsessed with all the constitutional stuff of how the UK came to take its current form - hence Rhuddlan etc - but is also very careful to spread the cultural icons around the nations. Even if it means having Jackie Stewart on the list rather than Lewis Hamilton say.

I'd suggest that even if you wanted to tick the Scottish racing driver box, Colin McRae would be more relevant to the Playstation generation - you definitely feel it's been compiled by someone old.

[Maroochydore]

All together now..

I'm 'enery the eif I am, enery the eif I am I am
I got married to the widow next door,
She's been married seven times before
and everyone was an 'enery, couldn't have a Willy or a Sam
I'm 'er eif old man named 'enery, 'enery the eif I am.

[didds]

I hadnt realised the comments about Jackie Stewart were "real".

I doubt two of my 20s kids would know who he is, and the third might but only because he is a F1 fan

[servodude]

There's a pool of 681 questions:

https://citizenshiptests.org/tests/uk-citizenship-test/

in addition to the Jackie Stewart question - page one includes

Which one of these painters was not a Pre-Raphaelite artist?
1. Thomas Gainsborough
2. Holman Hunt
3. Dante Gabriel Rossetti
4. Sir John Millais

Fun for a discussion on whether Rossetti's later work would make him more of an Aesthetic but as a gateway to citizenship it seems a bit niche (unless there's a shortage of Ladies-in-Waiting)

I think the list could probably do with a bit of pruning for relevance