Empress Matilda

Matilda of England
Empress consort of the Holy Roman Empire; Queen consort of the Romans; later Duchess consort of the Normans
Lady of the English
Reign	April 1141 - November 1141
Predecessor	Stephen
Successor	Stephen
Spouse	Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor m. 1114; dec. 1125 Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou m. 1128; dec. 1151
Issue
Henry II of England Geoffrey, Count of Nantes William X, Count of Poitou
House	House of Plantagenet
Father	Henry I of England
Mother	Matilda of Scotland
Born	c. 7 February 1102
Died	10 September 1167 (age 65) Rouen

Empress Matilda, also known as Matilda of England or Maude (c. 7 February 1102 – 10 September 1167) was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England. Matilda and her younger brother, William Adelin, were the only legitimate children of King Henry. Her brother died young in the White ship disaster, leaving Matilda as the last heir from the paternal line of her grandfather William the Conqueror.

As a child, Matilda was betrothed and later married to Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor. From her marriage to Henry, she acquired the title Empress. The couple had no known children. When widowed, she was married to the much younger Geoffrey of Anjou, by whom she became the mother of three sons, the eldest of whom became King Henry II of England.

Matilda was the first female ruler of the Kingdom of England. However the length of her effective rule was quite brief — a few months in 1141 — and she was never crowned and failed to consolidate her rule (legally and politically). Because of this she is normally excluded from lists of English monarchs, and her rival (and cousin) Stephen of Blois is routinely listed as monarch for the period 1135-1154. Their warring rivalry for the throne led to years of unrest and civil war in England that have been called The Anarchy. She did secure her inheritance of the Duchy of Normandy — through the military feats of her husband Geoffrey — and she campaigned unstintingly for her oldest son's inheritance, living to see him ascend the throne in 1154.

(In Latin texts Matilda was sometimes called Maude. This is a modernised spelling of the Norman-French form of her name, Mahaut.)

Early life

Matilda was the firstborn of two children to Henry I of England and his wife Matilda of Scotland (also known as Edith). Her maternal grandparents were Malcolm III of Scotland and Saint Margaret of Scotland. Margaret was daughter of Edward the Exile and granddaughter of Edmund II of England. (Most historians believe Matilda was born at Winchester, but one, John Fletcher (1990), argues for the possibility of the royal palace at Sutton Courtenay in Oxfordshire.)

First marriage: Holy Roman Empress

When she was seven years old, Matilda was betrothed to Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor; at nine, she was sent to the Holy Roman Empire (Germany) to begin training for the life of Empress consort. The royal couple were married at Worms on 7 January 1114, and Matilda accompanied her husband on tours to Rome and Tuscany. After time, the young wife of the Emperor acted as regent, mainly in Italy, in his absence^[1]. Emperor Henry died in 1125. The imperial couple had no surviving offspring, but Herman of Tournai states that Matilda bore a son who lived only a short while.

Despite being popularly known by the title "Empress" from her first marriage, Matilda's right to the title was dubious. She was never crowned Holy Roman Empress by a legitimate Pope — which ceremony was normally required to achieve the title; indeed, in later years she encouraged chroniclers to believe she had been crowned by the Pope. At the time, she was called German Queen by her husband's bishops, while her formal title was recorded as "Queen of the Romans". Still, "Empress" was arguably an appropriate courtesy title for the wife of an Emperor who had been crowned by the Pope.

In 1120 her brother William Adelin was drowned in the disastrous wreck of the White Ship, which left Matilda as the only legitimate child of her father King Henry. Her cousin Stephen of Blois was, like her, a grandchild of William (the Conqueror) of Normandy; but her paternal line made her senior in right of succession to his maternal line.

Second marriage: Countess of Anjou

Matilda returned to England a young widow, age 23, and dowager "Empress" — a status of considerable pride to her. There Henry named her his heir to both the English throne and his Duchy of Normandy. Henry saw to it that the Anglo-Norman barons, including Stephen, swore (several times) to accept Matilda as ruler if Henry died without a male heir.

Henry then arranged a second marriage for Matilda, aiming to achieve peace between the fractious barons of Normandy and Anjou. On 17 June 1128, Matilda, then aged 26, was married to Geoffrey of Anjou, aged 15, who also was Count of Maine and heir apparent to (his father) the Count of Anjou — which title he soon acquired, and by which Matilda became Countess of Anjou. It was a title she rarely used. Geoffrey called himself "Plantagenet" from the broom flower (planta genista) he adopted as his personal emblem. Thus, Plantagenet became the dynastic name of the powerful line of English kings who descended from Matilda and Geoffrey.

Matilda's marriage with Geoffrey was troubled, with frequent long separations; but they had three sons and she survived him. The eldest son, Henry, was born on 5 March 1133. In 1134, she nearly died in childbirth, following the birth of her second son, Geoffrey, Count of Nantes. A third son, William X, Count of Poitou, was born in 1136.

When her father died in Normandy, on 1 December 1135, Matilda was with her husband, in Anjou, and, crucially, too far away from events rapidly unfolding in England and Normandy. Stephen of Blois rushed to England upon learning of Henry's death; in London he moved quickly to sieze the crown of England from its appointed heir.

But Matilda was game to contest Stephen in both realms; she and her husband Geoffrey entered Normandy and began military campaigns to claim her inheritance. Progress was uneven at first, but she persevered; even so, it was not until 1139 that Matilda felt secure enough in Normandy to turn her attentions to invading England and fighting Stephen directly.

In Normandy, Geoffrey secured all fiefdoms west and south of the Seine by 1143; in January 1144, he crossed the Seine and took Rouen without resistance. He assumed the title Duke of Normandy, and Matilda became Duchess of Normandy. Geoffrey and Matilda held the duchy conjointly until 1149, then ceded it to their son, Henry, which event was soon ratified by King Louis VII of France.

Struggle for throne of England

On the death of her father, Henry I, in 1135, Matilda expected to succeed to the throne of England, but her cousin, Stephen of Blois, a nephew of Henry I, usurped the throne with the support of most of the barons, breaking the oath he had previously made to defend her rights. The civil war which followed was bitter and prolonged, with neither side gaining ascendancy for long. It was not until 1139 that Matilda could command the military strength necessary to challenge Stephen within his own realm. Stephen's wife, the Countess of Boulogne who was also named Matilda, was the Empress's maternal cousin. During the war, Matilda's most loyal and capable supporter was her illegitimate half-brother, Robert, 1st Earl of Gloucester.

Matilda's greatest triumph came in April 1141, when her forces defeated and captured King Stephen at the Battle of Lincoln. He was made a prisoner and effectively deposed.

Her advantage lasted only a few months. When she marched on London, the city was ready to welcome her and support her coronation. She used the title of Lady of the English and planned to assume the title of queen upon coronation (the custom which was followed by her grandsons, Richard and John).^[2] However, she refused the citizens' request to have their taxes halved and, because of her own arrogance ^[2], she found the gates of London shut and the civil war reignited on 24 June 1141. By November, Stephen was free, having been exchanged for the captured Robert of Gloucester, and a year later, the tables were turned when Matilda was besieged at Oxford but escaped to Wallingford, supposedly by fleeing across the snow-covered land in a white cape. In 1141 she had escaped Devizes in a similarly clever manner, by disguising herself as a corpse and being carried out for burial. In 1148, Matilda and Henry returned to Normandy, following the death of Robert of Gloucester, and the reconquest of that county by her husband. Upon their arrival, Geoffrey turned Normandy over to his son, and retired to his own county of Anjou.

Later life

Matilda's first son, Henry, was showing signs of becoming a successful leader. Although the civil war had been decided in Stephen's favour, his reign was troubled. In 1153, the death of his son Eustace, combined with the arrival of a military expedition led by Henry, led him to acknowledge the latter as his heir by the Treaty of Wallingford.

Matilda retired to Rouen in Normandy during her last years, where she maintained her own court and presided over the government of the duchy in the absence of Henry. She intervened in the quarrels between her eldest son Henry and her second son Geoffrey, but peace between the brothers was brief. Geoffrey rebelled against Henry twice before his sudden death in 1158. Relations between Henry and his youngest brother, William X, Count of Poitou, were more cordial, and William was given vast estates in England. Archbishop Thomas Becket refused to allow William to marry the Countess of Surrey and the young man fled to Matilda's court at Rouen. William, who was his mother's favourite child, died there in January 1164, reportedly of disappointment and sorrow. She attempted to mediate in the quarrel between her son Henry and Becket, but was unsuccessful.

Although she gave up hope of being crowned in 1141, her name always preceded that of her son Henry, even after he became king. Matilda died at Notre Dame du Pré near Rouen and was buried in the Abbey church of Bec-Hellouin, Normandy. Her body was transferred to the Rouen Cathedral in 1847; her epitaph reads: "Great by Birth, Greater by Marriage, Greatest in her Offspring: Here lies Matilda, the daughter, wife, and mother of Henry."

Historical fiction

The civil war between supporters of Stephen and the supporters of Matilda has proven popular as a subject in historical fiction. Novels dealing with it include:

• Graham Shelby, The Villains of the Piece, (1972) (published in the US as The Oath and the Sword);
• The Brother Cadfael series by Ellis Peters, and the TV series made from them starring Sir Derek Jacobi;
• Jean Plaidy, The Passionate Enemies, the third book of her Norman Trilogy;
• Sharon Penman, When Christ and His Saints Slept tells the story of the civil war;
• Haley Elizabeth Garwood, 'The Forgotten Queen' (1997, IBSN 0-9659721-9-4);
• Ken Follett, The Pillars of the Earth;
• E. L. Konigsburg, A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver
• Ellen Jones, The Fatal Crown (highly inaccurately, in romance novel-style).
• Juliet Dymoke, The Lion's Legacy, (Being part of a trilogy, the first being, Of The Ring Of Earls, the second, Henry Of The High Rock.)

Indeed, some romance-type historical novels go so far as to posit a love-affair between Matilda and Stephen e.g. the Janna Mysteries- Felicity Pullman Set during the civil war between Stephen and Matilda

Matilda has been played on screen by Martita Hunt in the film adaptation of Jean Anouilh's play Becket (1964) and by Brenda Bruce in the BBC TV series The Devil's Crown (1978).

Ancestry

See also

• Gervase of Canterbury
• Gesta Stephani
• Robert of Torigni
• Roger of Hoveden
• Walter Map

References

• Bradbury, J. (1996) Stephen and Matilda: the Civil War of 1139-1153, Sutton Publishing, ISBN 075090612X
• Chibnall,Marjorie (1991) The Empress Matilda:Queen Consort, Queen Mother, and Lady of the English
• Fletcher, John (1990) Sutton Courtenay: The History of a Thameside Village
• Gardener J and Wenborn W the History Today Companion to British History
• Pain, Nesta (1978) Empress Matilda: Uncrowned Queen of England
• Parsons, John Carmi. Medieval Mothering (New Middle Ages), sub. Marjorie Chibnall, "Empress Matilda and Her Sons"

v • d • e   English monarchs   Kingdom of the English 886–1066 Alfred the Great · Edward the Elder · Ælfweard · Athelstan the Glorious1 · Edmund the Magnificent1 · Eadred1 · Eadwig the Fair1 · Edgar the Peaceable1 · Edward the Martyr · Æthelred the Unready · Sweyn Forkbeard · Edmund Ironside · Cnut1 · Harold Harefoot · Harthacnut · Edward the Confessor · Harold Godwinson · Edgar the Ætheling Kingdom of England 1066–1649 William I · William II · Henry I · Stephen · Matilda · Henry II2 · Henry the Young King · Richard I · John2 · Henry III2 · Edward I2 · Edward II2 · Edward III2 · Richard II2 · Henry IV2 · Henry V2 · Henry VI2 · Edward IV2 · Edward V2 · Richard III2 · Henry VII2 · Henry VIII2 · Edward VI2 · Jane2 · Mary I2 with Philip2 · Elizabeth I2 · James I3 · Charles I3 Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland 1653–1659 Oliver Cromwell4 · Richard Cromwell4 Kingdom of England 1660–1707 Charles II3  · James II3  · William III and Mary II3  · Anne3 1Overlord of Britain. 2Also ruler of Ireland. 3Also ruler of Scotland. 4Lord Protector. Debatable or disputed rulers are in italics.

v • d • e House of Plantagenet Titles Count of Gâtinais (origin) · Count of Anjou · Count of Maine · King of Jerusalem (claim) · Duke of Aquitaine · Duke of Normandy · King of England · Lord of Ireland · Duke of Brittany · Lord of Cyprus · Prince of Wales · King of the Romans (claim) · King of France (claim) · King of Sicily (claim) · King of Castile (claim) Armorial of Plantagenet Branches House of Lancaster · House of York · House of Beaufort Monarchs, their queens and issue Henry II of England Spouse: Eleanor of Aquitaine William IX, Count of Poitiers · Henry the Young King · Richard I of England · Geoffrey, Duke of Brittany · Matilda of England, Duchess of Saxony · Eleanor, Queen of Castile · Joan, Queen of Sicily · John of England Illegitimates: William de Longespée, Earl of Salisbury · Geoffrey, Archbishop of York Henry the Young King Queen consort: Margaret of France William (died in infancy) Richard I of England Spouse: Berengaria of Navarre Illegitimates: Philip of Cognac John of England Spouse: Isabella of Angoulême Henry III of England · Richard, Earl of Cornwall · Joan, Queen of Scots · Isabella, Holy Roman Empress · Eleanor Illegitimates: Joan, Lady of Wales · Richard FitzRoy · Oliver FitzRoy · Geoffrey FitzRoy · John FitzRoy · Henry FitzRoy · Osbert Gifford · Eudes FitzRoy · Bartholomew FitzRoy · Maud FitzRoy · Isabel FitzRoy · Philip FitzRoy · William de Forz Henry III of England Spouse: Eleanor of Provence Edward I of England · Margaret, Queen of Scots · Beatrice, Duchess of Brittany · Edmund, Earl of Lancaster · Katherine Edward I of England Spouse:Eleanor of Castile · Margaret of France Eleanor, Countess of Bar · Joan, Countess of Hertford and Gloucester · Alphonso, Earl of Chester · Margaret, Duchess of Brabant · Mary Plantagenet · Elizabeth, Countess of Hereford · Edward II of England · Thomas, Earl of Norfolk · Edmund, Earl of Kent Edward II of England Spouse: Isabella of France Edward III of England · John, Earl of Cornwall · Eleanor, Countess of Guelders · Joan, Queen of Scots Edward III of England Spouse: Philippa of Hainault Edward, Prince of Wales · Isabella · Joan · Lionel of Antwerp, Duke of Clarence · John, Duke of Lancaster · Edmund, Duke of York · Mary, Duchess of Brittany · Margaret, Countess of Pembroke · Thomas, Duke of Gloucester Richard II of England Spouse: Anne of Bohemia · Isabella of Valois Henry IV of England Spouses: Mary de Bohun · Joanna of Navarre Henry V of England · Thomas, Duke of Clarence · John, Duke of Bedford · Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester · Blanche, Electorial Princess Palatine · Philippa, Queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden Henry V of England Spouse: Catherine of Valois Henry VI of England Henry VI of England Spouse: Margaret of Anjou Edward of Westminster, Prince of Wales Edward IV of England Spouse: Elizabeth Woodville Elizabeth, Queen of England · Mary of York · Cecily, Viscountess Welles · Edward V of England · Richard, Duke of York · Anne, Countess of Surrey · Catherine, Countess of Devon · Bridget of York Edward V of England no consort or issue Richard III of England Queen consort: Anne Neville Edward of Middleham, Prince of Wales Illegitimates: John of Gloucester · Katherine Plantagenet · Richard of Eastwell History Matilda, Lady of the English · Geoffrey V of Anjou · Treaty of Wallingford · Angevin Empire · Revolt of 1173–1174 · Third Crusade · Magna Carta · First Barons' War · Provisions of Oxford · Second Barons' War · Gothic architecture · University of Oxford · University of Cambridge · Parliament of England · Competitors for the Crown of Scotland · Treaty of Northampton · House of Capet · Hundred Years' War · Order of the Garter · College of Arms · Wars of the Roses Category · Royalty Portal