THE BIG QUESTIONS THIS BANK HOLIDAY
Settle down with all the family and enjoy our fiendishly tricky general knowledge quiz from ADAM JACOT DE BOINOD
CURRENT AFFAIRS
1) At what age are you legally an adult in the UK?
2) By what name is Justin Welby better known?
3) What is the plan to decarbonise Britain known as?
4) Who’s the CEO of the BBC?
5) To which African country will asylum seekers be sent?
6) Name the former High Court judge who chaired the Infected Blood Inquiry?
7) The Michaela Community School in north-west London was taken to court for banning what?
8) Who was SNP leader for just 13 months?
9) What is Kemi Badenoch’s job title?
10) What’s the nickname of female campaigners against state pension inequality?
GEOGRAPHY
11) What’s the highest peak in Britain outside of Scotland?
12) Is the River Thames more or less than 200 miles long?
13) Which famous Scottish sea cliff is 449 feet tall?
14) Which UK lake is the largest in area?
15) Which river divides Salford from Manchester?
16) Which island group lies off the tip of Cornwall?
17) What river flows through Cardiff?
18) Which two ranges of hills beginning with the letter C lie between Bristol and London?
19) What is the highest mountain in England?
20) Which is the longest river in Scotland?
CITIES AND TOWNS
21) What is Britain’s southernmost city?
22) Where is the annual Royal Military Tattoo event held?
23) Which city was known as “Eboracum” during Roman times?
24) Of which British dependency is Douglas the capital?
25) Which town was Shakespeare’s birthplace?
26) Where does the annual Goose Fair date back more than 700 years?
27) Which city was named the European Capital of Culture for 2025?
28) Name the main highway between England and Scotland until the 20th century.
29) Which A-Road takes you from Newry to Belfast?
30) What was the Roman name for Cirencester?
HISTORY
31) Who discovered the Hawaiian Islands in 1778?
32) Who was king during the Great Fire of London in 1666?
33) In which year did Scotland and England unite to form Great Britain?
34) Who were the two British prime ministers during the First World War?
35) Which English king was killed at the Battle of Hastings?
36) What conflict was fought between Roundheads and Cavaliers?
37) Which Anglo-Saxon king is known as the “Father of England”?
38) On what date did D-Day take place?
39) In what year was the NHS founded?
40) Who was prime minister at the outbreak of the Second World War?
CELEBRITIES
41) Who played George VI in The King’s Speech?
42) Name the UK’s 2024 Eurovision Song Contest entrant.
43) Which country won Eurovision this year?
44) Name the lead singer in the band Coldplay.
45) Name Tom Hiddleston’s character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
46) Who was the lead guitarist in Queen?
47) Name the Hairy Biker who died aged 66 in February.
48) Name Elton John’s songwriting partner.
49) Which singer who died in March urged listeners to Make Me Smile (Come Up And See Me)?
50) Name the TV show starring Brian Cox as Logan Roy.
THE ARTS
51) Whose recent memoir was titled Knife?
52) Who composed the Enigma Variations?
53) Whose recent official portrait of King Charles was vivid red?
54) Who wrote Paradise Lost?
55) Who sculpted the Angel of the North?
56) How old is the National Gallery: 75, 150 or 200?
57) Which film star published his first thriller aged 90?
58) How many Downton Abbey films have there been?
59) Can you name Dame Glenda Jackson’s final film?
60) Which fictional Brighton detective is played on TV by John Simm?
SPORTS
61) Who was the first Briton to win the Tour de France?
62) Who won the Premiership this year?
63) Which British driver has won the most Formula One World Championships?
64) What’s the nickname of the English women’s national football team?
65) Does Wembley Stadium have a capacity of more or less than 80,000?
66) Which club has won the FA Cup most times?
67) Name the Liverpool manager who stepped down this month after nine years.
68) Which English bowler has taken the most Test wickets?
69) Which football team is nicknamed The Clarets?
70) Who won the heptathlon gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics?
ROYALS
71) Name Charles Spencer’s recent memoir about his boarding school abuse.
72) Who’s the youngest child of Prince William and Princess Catherine?
73) How many King Edwards have there been?
74) Who was the last monarch from the House of Hanover?
75) Who was the father of Elizabeth II?
76) Name Queen Camilla’s charity aimed at promoting reading.
77) What are the Christian names of Princess Anne’s two children?
78) Who is the sister of the Princess of Wales?
79) Which British monarch had nine children?
80) Which former royal wife now pens Mills & Boon novels?
FOOD
81) What is the King’s food company called?
82) What’s added to gin to make it go pink?
83) Which cake is traditionally served on Bonfire Night?
84) What Scottish dish consists of mashed potatoes and turnips?
85) Which county is known for making black pudding?
86) What is Britain’s most popular lager?
87) What Scottish fruitcake is made with cherries, sultanas, currants and almonds?
88) What popular dish combines bangers, Yorkshire pudding and onion gravy?
89) What dish is a combination of sugar, flour, currants and the raw, shredded fat found around the loins and kidneys of a sheep, with custard?
90) What is the most popular cider in Britain?
POLITICS
91) Who’s the current Secretary of State for Health?
92) What date is the General Election?
93) Who is the Honorary President of Reform UK?
94) Name the Secretary of State for Defence.
95) What was described as a “day of shame” by Rishi Sunak?
96) Name the UK’s deputy prime minister.
97) How many female British prime ministers have there been?
98) Who is First Minister of Wales?
99) Name the Dover MP who recently defected from the Conservatives to Labour.
100)At the State Opening of Parliament, who strikes the door three times with their staff?
● Adam Jacot de Boinod was a researcher for the first BBC series QI and is an author of three books including The Meaning Of Tingo