Prince Harry Proved Just How Difficult The British Citizenship Test Really Is
It's a good thing that Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is a British citizen by virtue of his family and birthplace. If he were a foreigner having to apply for citizenship to "that sceptered isle," he might have trouble getting his passport today. Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, revealed as much on her recent "Archetypes" podcast.
When the Sussexes first announced their engagement, the royal family confirmed that Meghan was planning to earn her British citizenship in anticipation of a life within the palace (via CNN). That all changed, however, when the couple made the decision to relinquish their duties and pursue an independent life in California. That move put Meghan some months short of the three-year residency requirement needed for her to apply for citizenship, according to Us Weekly. Their children, Archie and Lilibet, have no such problems; Meghan and Harry's children both have dual UK and U.S. citizenships, per Town & Country.
While chatting with her guest, actress Pamela Adlon, Meghan recalled her efforts to study for the mandatory citizenship exam, formally known as the Life in the UK Test. As reported by the Daily Mail, Meghan said, "That citizenship exam is so hard. I was studying for it [the test] and I remember going, 'Oh my goodness.' I would ask my husband, 'Did you know this? Did you know this?' And he would say, 'I had no idea.'"
Hopefully, he wasn't tripped up on this question from the practice exams: "What is the capital of England?"
The British citizenship test questions cover a lot of ground
Similar to the test required of would-be new U.S. citizens, the Life in the UK Test is a mandatory exam for all adults 18 through 64 who wish to become UK citizens or get an "indefinite leave to remain" in the kingdom. The 24-question multiple choice test costs £50 and 75% is a passing score. Applicants can retake the test as many times as needed, but they have to pay the test fee each time.
Based on the questions offered in the practice tests, it looks as though Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, might need to do some brushing up on his kingdom's history and holidays. There are plenty of no-brainers ("When is Christmas Eve?"), but there are some trickier questions about historical dates and statistics ("What percentage of the population died because of the Black Death?"). Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, would ace the question "How many American colonies declared their independence in 1776?", but she might be forgiven for not knowing precisely when the Vikings attacked Britain. (AD 789, if you're keeping score.) There are no questions about who was voted the most popular royals, but there are a number related to sports and entertainment.
And if you hope to be a full-fledged Briton, you have to know both how to hoist a pint and how to give one. Two sample questions on the test are: "What time do pubs usually open?" and "How long does it take to give blood?"