Word Power: Test Your Knowledge of Royal Terms

Royal Term #1: Pomp

A: Display of splendour
B: Tall furry hat
C: Royal fire brigade

Answer: A—Display of splendour

As in, “Spain’s King Felipe VI was sworn in at Parliament with minimal pomp and ceremony.”

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Royal Term #2: Interregnum

A: Interview with a head of state
B: Burial ceremony
C: Period between rulers

Answer: C—Period between rulers

As in, “After the queen died, a brief interregnum took place while her sons jostled for power.”

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Royal Term #3: Clarence

A: Prohibition of poaching
B: House of Windsor china pattern
C: Closed, four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage

Answer: C—Closed, four-wheeled horse-drawn carriage

As in, “Tourists admired the clarences in the royal stables.”

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Royal Term #4: Regent

A: Palace caretaker
B: Scarlet robe
C: Person standing in for an underage, incapacitated or absent monarch

Answer: C—Person standing in for an underage, incapacitated or absent monarch

As in, “King Mswati III’s mother was regent of Swaziland until he turned 18.”

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Royal Term #5: Wonsam

A: Ceremonial overcoat of Korea’s female royalty and aristocracy
B: Marsupial on a coat of arms
C: Charming

Answer: A—Ceremonial overcoat of Korea’s female royalty and aristocracy

As in, “The wonsam is associated with the Choson court, which spanned from the 14th to the 20th century.”

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Royal Term #6: Figurehead

A: Symbolic leader without real power
B: Monogrammed stationery
C: Royal accountant

Answer: A—Symbolic leader without real power

As in, “Many contemporary monarchs are merely figureheads.”

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Royal Term#7: Noblesse oblige

A: Idea that privilege entails obligations
B: Duty of peasants to respect nobility
C: Labour owed to a feudal lord

Answer: A—Idea that privilege entails obligations

As in, “Charity work is seen by some as part of the noblesse oblige of royalty.”

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Royal Term #8: Livery

A: Monarch’s allowance
B: Court etiquette
C: Servant’s uniform

Answer: C—Servant’s uniform

As in, “Louis XIV’s retainers wore livery of red, white and blue.”

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Royal Term #9: Primogeniture

A: Hereditary disease of Russian royalty
B: Participation by royalty in democratic governments
C: System in which the first-born child inherits all property or titles

Answer: C—System in which the first-born child inherits all property or titles

As in, “In 1980, Sweden adopted absolute primogeniture so Princess Victoria would inherit the throne instead of her younger brother.”

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Royal Term #10: Albertopolis

A: Concentrated area of cultural sites in London
B: Nickname for Calgary
C: Prominent magazine for royal gossip

Answer: A—Concentrated area of cultural sites in London

As in, “Albertopolis was named for Prince Albert, an enthusiastic patron of the arts and sciences.”

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Royal Term #11: Tyrant

A: Royal toddler
B: Oppressive leader
C: Formulaic speech

Answer: B—Oppressive leader

As in, “History remembers Emperor Nero as a murderous tyrant.”

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Royal Term #12: Dynasty

A: Nostalgia
B: Succession of hereditary rulers
C: Conflation of church and state

Answer: B—Succession of hereditary rulers

As in, “China’s Zhou dynasty lasted nearly 800 years.”

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Royal Term #13: Fanfare

A: Public appearance by royals
B: Crown-shaped pasta
C: Ceremonial tune played on brass instruments

Answer: C—Ceremonial tune played on brass instruments

As in, “The appearance of King Vajiralongkorn of Thailand was greeted with fanfare.

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Royal Term #14: Crenellations

A: Tattoo design of Inuit leadership
B: Castle battlements
C: Calls to abolish royalty

Answer: B—Castle battlements

As in, “Though practical for defence, crenellations were also likely a status symbol during the Middle Ages.”

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Royal Term #15: Welsh corgi

A: Royal guard
B: White pleated collar
C: Short-legged dog breed

Answer: C—Short-legged dog breed

As in, “The first of Queen Elizabeth II’s Welsh corgis was named Dookie.”

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