New U.K. citizenship test highlights history, culture

What does it mean to be British? Monarchs, Margaret Thatcher and Monty Python are all important parts of the nation’s heritage, according to a new guide for immigrants introduced Monday.

The government is revising the “Life in the U.K.” handbook and test taken by those seeking to become British citizens or settle here permanently.

While the previous version — created under the former Labour government — included some practical questions about daily life, the emphasis is now firmly on British history and culture. There are questions on sports, music and historical figures from William Shakespeare to Winston Churchill.

The Conservative-led government says the new handbook also features “an exploration of Britons’ unique sense of humour and satire,” alongside an explanation of aspects of cultural life including the national love of gardening, the novels of Jane Austen and the musicals of Andrew Lloyd Webber.

The handbook asks migrants to learn a potted history of Britain from the Stone Age to the present day. Among its facts:

Despite its name, the Hundred Years War against France lasted 116 years.

King Henry VIII “was most famous for breaking away from the Church of Rome and marrying six times.”

The greatest Briton of all time, according to a 2002 public vote, was Churchill, the prime minister who led the country to victory in Second World War.

British inventions of the 20th century include television, radar, the cash-dispensing bank machine and the World Wide Web.