How much history do you know?

Historian Dr David Starkey is now Britain's best paid television presenter, according to hourly rates per programme.

Channel Four has commissioned the former Cambridge history don to write 25 hours of television, including an 18-part series on the British monarchy, for a total of £2 million. That works out at £75,000 a programme, more than The Weakest Link's Anne Robinson, Blind Date's Cilla Black (both £60,000 an hour), Chris Tarrant (£58,000 a programme for Who Wants To Be A Millionaire) and Frank Skinner (£57,000).

"It shows you don't have to be dim to make money on television," he says. However, he points out that while his financial rivals get less than he does for every hour they are on air, "it takes them 10 seconds to prepare for their shows", while "it takes me three months to make one hour".

Today, Dr Starkey has prepared 25 questions which he says should be "a bit of fun for anyone interested in history" and which include "some that are quite easy, some that are pretty difficult".

Put yourself to the test