Many Brits may know the famous chant of “Remember, remember, the 5th of November” – but research has found that as many as one in six (16%) believe the Gunpowder Plot is just a story, and didn't really happen.
Over a quarter of clueless adults (27%) know little to nothing about the infamous failed attempt to blow up King James I and his government in 1605.
And whilst it was the Houses of Parliament that were targeted and almost reduced to rubble, 23% mistakenly believe that Buckingham Palace was the target of the treasonous plot.
A poll of 2,000 adults found that, of those who do have some understanding of the event, a third had no idea which King was the target – with one in ten even believing it was the newly-crowned King Charles III.
And 26% thought that the conspirator Guy Fawkes acted alone – unaware that he concocted the plot with five co-conspirators.
To highlight the knowledge gap around the famous 1605 event, this morning – on the sixteenth day of the fifth month – a band of actors took to the London tube, heading straight for the Houses of Parliament – dressed as the architects of the Gunpowder Plot.
London commuters were left baffled as the group boarded the public transport, draped in cloaks and wearing boots with spurs.
But after disembarking at Westminster, they were halted by Lady Cecil, and agents of the Crown, holding an anonymous letter revealing details of the planned atrocity.
The plotters were then frogmarched to the Tower of London, where they were historically imprisoned in 1605 before suffering a traitor’s execution.
Fortunately, this group posed no threat – and were actually actors from The Gunpowder Plot immersive experience, from Layered Reality.
Commuter Nomazulu Ramachela, 29, from South West London, said: “It’s not something you see every day on the tube, a carriage of people dressed in period clothing – it was certainly intriguing. The spectacle definitely brightened up my morning commute.”
Of those who don't believe the Gunpowder Plot was real, one in four assumed it was a fairy-tale – while 45% just thought the plot was the source material for the 2005 film, V for Vendetta.
Andrew McGuinness, CEO of Layered Reality, the company behind The Gunpowder Plot immersive experience, which commissioned the study, said: “The story has been told for more than 400 years – so it’s only fair to assume many believed a tale so captivating it must have been too good to be true.
“We had lots of fun on the streets of London this morning, giving commuters a glimpse into what happened all those years ago – as well as letting them know just how close the iconic Houses of Parliament was to being reduced to rubble in 1605.
“Now, Brits can live out the failed gunpowder plot for themselves, and be at the centre of the story – with a mix of live actors, movie quality sets, virtual reality, and multi-sensory effects, to create a truly immersive experience.
“It’s a fantastic way to learn about our history, whilst making some great memories too.”
Following the capture of Guy Fawkes underneath the Houses of Parliament, his torture, and eventual execution, the events that followed saw King James I go on to make it law that citizens celebrate his great escape from The Gunpowder Plot – leading to the famous “Remember, Remember” saying.
The perilous events of 1605 would then go on to inspire firework displays and bonfires throughout the country for over 400 years.
