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 Markle plans to take the nationality of her new husband after
their wedding on May 19 but, like tens of thousands of others
wanting to become British every year, she will first have to
demonstrate knowledge of some historical facts and obscure
trivia that many Britons are oblivious to.
All would-be citizens must pass the "Life in the UK" test by
successfully answering 18 out of 24 questions selected from some
3,000 facts, such as knowing the height of the London Eye Ferris
wheel and how many lawmakers sit in the Scottish Parliament.
Even many Britons find the questions baffling. In a random
survey carried out by Reuters, only 23 out of 41 Britons quizzed
could correctly answer questions put to them, and many of those
admitted they were guessing.
"I did history at school but some of them are just absolutely
stupid," said chef Tom Poston, 46, after failing a sample test
shown to him by Reuters.
"I would have been kicked out, amazing," said Poston, who lives
in London. "I think she's (Markle) going to have to do a lot of
studying because I'm shocked."
HURDLES TO CITIZENSHIP
Britain has made the process of becoming a citizen more
difficult in recent years as it struggles to cut annual net
immigration to less than 100,000. Underlining the sensitivity of
that issue, Amber Rudd quit as Home Secretary (interior
minister) on Sunday over an immigration scandal.
Becoming a citizen requires a person to have lived in Britain
for three years, to have good knowledge of English, to be of
sound mind - and to pass the 50 pound ($69) test.
However, the additional requirement of earning a combined income
of at least 18,600 pounds should not prove to be too burdensome
for a prince of the realm and his new wife.
For many applicants, though, the citizenship test is a major
stumbling block. The most recent official figures showed that
133,490 tests were taken in 2016 with 47,312 failures.
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"It's very divorced from what the normal experience is for people,"
Thom Brooks, an academic and vocal critic of the test, told Reuters.
"It's the British citizenship test that very few British citizens
can pass."
Brooks, originally from the United States, sat the quiz himself in
2009 before becoming a UK citizen two years later.
"The general view is that it's a money-making ruse by the Home
Office," said Brooks, adding that one applicant had failed it more
than 60 times. "I haven't really found anyone who found that the
test was particularly beneficial for helping them settle in the
country."
Last month, a report by Britain's House of Lords committee on
citizenship agreed with Brooks and called for a review.
"The current test seems to be, and to be regarded as, a barrier to
acquiring citizenship rather than a means of creating better
citizens," it said.
Among the possible questions are who opened Britain's first Indian
restaurant (Sake Dean Mahomed), the size of the Lake District
natural park in northern England (885 sq miles or 2,292 km), and the
age of the famous "Big Ben" bell in parliament's clock tower (it
came into operation in 1859).
Some of those quizzed by Reuters thought Markle might fare better
than they had.
"I did terribly," said retired engineer David Armstrong, 58. "She's
a bright girl, she might get half."
(Writing by Michael Holden; editing by Guy Faulconbridge)
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