Matilda (also later known as the 'Empress Maud'), daughter of Henry I,, was the only remaining legitimate heir to the throne after her brother William Atheling drowned in the White Ship disaster of 1120.
At the age of eight, she was sent to Germany as the future bride of Henry V, the Holy Roman emperor. They married when she was 12.
Matilda was involved in government from a young age – for example, left in charge of affairs in Italy in her husband's absence. When Henry died in 1125, Matilda returned to England, keeping the title 'empress' – an indication of her innate arrogance.
In 1127, the English nobles swore to accept her as Henry I's successor, but her marriage the following year to Geoffrey Plantagenet, count of Anjou, didn't help her cause: the Angevins and Normans were long-time enemies.
Her failure to win over many leading nobles forced them into the arms of her cousin Stephen, who was proclaimed king on Henry's death. She did have one key supporter, her half-brother Robert of Gloucester, and at his suggestion, she crossed the Channel in 1139 in pursuit of her claim. The ensuing civil war tore England apart for the next 14 years.
Matilda's main chance to seize the crown came after Stephen was captured at Lincoln in 1141 – she declared herself 'Lady of the English' and was elected queen at Winchester on 8 April. But she alienated potential support in London by her arrogance and by her refusal to consider a demand for tax cuts. In less than three months, she was chased out of town.
After Stephen was restored to the throne, Matilda evaded capture twice: at Winchester by riding away astride a horse; and at Oxford Castle by crossing ice and snow in white clothing.
In 1148, finally realising that she would never truly be queen, she retreated to Normandy. When her son – hitherto known as 'Henry FitzEmpress' – became king as Henry II, in 1154, she ruled the duchy in his absence. She died 13 years later, in Rouen.
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 Personalities and Figures in Norman History
www.norman-world.com/angleterre/cultures
/index_cultures.htm
A biography of Matilda is listed under 'Ladies' in the Personalities section of this website, which features articles, timelines and links to all things Norman.
Kings and Queens of England: Stephen and Matilda
www.royal.gov.uk/output/Page56.asp
Brief account of Matilda's attempt to take the English throne and Stephen's war against her. From the official Royal Family website.
The Wreck of the White Ship
www.britannia.com/history/bb1120.html
Detailed account of the drowning of Henry I's son and heir, an event that changed the course of English history.
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The Empress Matilda: Queen Consort, Queen Mother and Lady of the English by Marjorie Chibnall (Blackwell, 1993)
This biography examines Matilda's career as a whole, and explores the various ways in which Matilda has been judged by historians through the ages.
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