The fleur-de-lys, a symbol of French royalty, was first adopted by the French king in what year?

Discover Canada records this in one direct sentence. The guide writes: It is said that the lily flower ("fleur-de-lys") was adopted by the French king in the year 496. It became the symbol of French royalty for more than 1,000 years, including the colony of New France. The year the test wants is therefore 496.

The fleur-de-lys is a thousand-year symbol. Discover Canada commits the fleur-de-lys to a remarkable longevity: more than 1,000 years as the symbol of French royalty. So when the test asks about the year, the source commits to 496 — making the fleur-de-lys the oldest of the symbols connected to Canadian heritage by more than a thousand years before any of them appeared in Canada.

The fleur-de-lys travelled to Canada with New France. Discover Canada writes that the fleur-de-lys "became the symbol of French royalty for more than 1,000 years, including the colony of New France." So the fleur-de-lys came to North America with French settlement — appearing in the colony of New France (founded 1604, expanded throughout the 1600s and 1700s), where it represented royal authority over the French colonial territory.

The fleur-de-lys is part of modern Canadian identity. Discover Canada writes: "Revived at Confederation, the fleur-de-lys was included in the Canadian Red Ensign. In 1948 Quebec adopted its own flag, based on the Cross and the fleur-de-lys." So the fleur-de-lys has had three lives in Canadian symbolism: the original French royal adoption in 496, the New France colonial era through the 1600s and 1700s, and modern Canadian use after Confederation in 1867 — first on the Canadian Red Ensign, then on the 1948 Quebec flag (which combines the Cross and the fleur-de-lys). The Quebec flag remains a defining symbol of the province today, carrying the fleur-de-lys forward as a living connection between modern Canada and the symbol the French king first adopted in 496.

The question is testing whether new citizens know the year the fleur-de-lys was adopted by the French king. Discover Canada commits to one year: 496. The right test answer matches that.

The wrong answer choices each pick a different year. The first option (396) is a hundred years too early — Discover Canada commits to 496, not 396. The third option (596) is a hundred years too late. The fourth option (696) is two hundred years too late. Only 496 matches the source.