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'''Matilda'', Princess of England, Queen of Germany, Countess of Anjou, heiress to Normany, Queen of England in 1141 Matilda (Maud) was the only surviving legitimate child of [[Henry I, King of England]]. She was born in 1101, generally it is said at Winchester, but other research indicates that she was possibly born at the Royal Palace in Sutton Courtenay (Berkshire). In something of a political coup for her father, Matilda was betrothed to the new Holy Roman Emperor, Henry V, when she was only eight and went to live there at his court. They were married on 7th January 1114. She was twelve and he was thirty-two. There were no children by this union. Her father Henry is known to have sired many illegitimate children by various mistresses, but Matilda had only one full-brother named William, the only other legitimate issue of King Henry. William had been betrothed to Matilda the young daughter of Fulk V, Count of Anjou (and future King of Jerusalem) when William was 15 and she was probably several years younger. Henry's first wife Maud of Scotland, daughter of Malcolm III, King of Scotland, died on 1 May 1118, and then in November 1120, his only legitimate son William was drowned in the wreck of the White Ship, without issue. A few months after William's death, on 29 Jan 1121, Henry married Adelicia of Brabant, the young daughter of Godfrey the Duke of Brabant. Perhaps Henry was trying to get more male heirs, but he and Adelicia were not destined to have any children together, and she would outlive him by almost sixteen years. Now Henry could expect his legitimate heirs to come from any children of his daughter Matilda by her husband the Emperor. But the Emperor died on 22 May 1125 without children by Matilda. Matilda stayed in Germany for a little over a year after her husband's death, but her father wanted her back in England, recalling her in 1126. She left reluctantly, she had lived in Germany since the age of eight and she loved the people. They also, at least some of them, wanted her to stay on and rule them in her husband's place. But her father insisted and she returned with him to England Sep 1126. The following January, Henry demanded and obtained, baronial consent to Matilda being named his heir. She was now her father's only hope for the continuation of his dynasty. Matilda did not yet have any children of her own and so in April 1127, Matilda found herself obliged to betroth Prince Geoffrey of Anjou and Maine (the future Geoffrey V, Count of those Regions). At the time, he was but thirteen, while she was twenty-three. The marriage took place two years later in Jun 1129. Her new father-in-law Fulk left soon after to become King of the Crusader nation of Jerusalem, while Matilda and Geoffrey sat as rulers in Anjou.
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