Matilda Queen of England

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(Middle Life)
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On 25 Mar 1133, Matilda had her first child, the future Henry II, and the year following on 1 Jun 1134, her second who would become Geoffrey, Count of Anjou.  Matilda's husband, antsy for influence, took this opportunity to make small military harassment's on his father-in-law Henry, to try to compel some settlement out of Norman property for them and their children.  Matilda backed her husband, and thus was estranged from her father Henry when he died 1 Dec 1135 in England.  Nevertheless, although one source claims that on his deathbed he declared for his favorite nephew Stephen, this is not likely, and other sources state that on his deathbed he declared again that Matilda was his heir and all his interests should flow to her.
 
On 25 Mar 1133, Matilda had her first child, the future Henry II, and the year following on 1 Jun 1134, her second who would become Geoffrey, Count of Anjou.  Matilda's husband, antsy for influence, took this opportunity to make small military harassment's on his father-in-law Henry, to try to compel some settlement out of Norman property for them and their children.  Matilda backed her husband, and thus was estranged from her father Henry when he died 1 Dec 1135 in England.  Nevertheless, although one source claims that on his deathbed he declared for his favorite nephew Stephen, this is not likely, and other sources state that on his deathbed he declared again that Matilda was his heir and all his interests should flow to her.
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On Henry's death, Stephen, then Count of Mortain and married to the heiress of the County of Boulogne, landed in England to seize the throne.  Stephen had been his uncle's favorite nephew, the son of Henry's closest sister Adele.  The barons and bishops having sworn to uphold Matilda as heiress now had to confront their own oaths.  It is likely that now was when the statement was sworn that Henry had disinherited Matilda on his deathbed and released them from their bond.  It seems credible that they might believe such a statement, as Geoffrey was known to have been harassing his father-in-law and Henry and Matilda were then estranged.
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While Stephen was securing himself in England, Matilda and Geoffrey entered Normandy.  At first they were recognized as the rightful heirs, but for some reason Geoffrey allowed his forces to plunder.  This, in conjunction with the news that England had gone to Stephen, decided the Norman barons to also accept Stephen as their overlord.  Meanwhile, David King of the Scots invaded the north of England, declaring his oath to Matilda, but rapidly came to terms with Stephen and retreated.
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==Later Life==
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Matilda saw things differently.  With encouragement from supporters in England, she invaded in 1139. Working from the power base of her half-brother, Robert of Gloucester, in the West Country, this inaugurated a period of inconclusive civil war.
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After three years of armed struggle, she at last gained the upper hand a the Battle of Lincoln, in February 1141, where King Stephen was captured. However, despite being declared Queen or "Lady of the English" at Winchester and winning over Stephen's brother, Henry of Blois, the powerful Bishop of Winchester, Matilda alienated the citizens of London with her arrogant manner. She failed to secure her coronation and the Londoners joined a renewed push from Stephen's Queen and laid siege to the Empress in Winchester. She managed to escape to the West, but while commanding her rearguard, her brother was captured by the enemy.
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Matilda was obliged to swap Stephen for Robert on 1st November 1141. Thus the King soon reimposed his Royal authority. In 1148, after the death of her half-brother, Matilda finally returned to Normandy, leaving her son Henry to fight on in England.  In 1152 the Treaty of Wallingford recognised Henry as Stephen's heir.
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Matilda died at Rouen on 10th September 1169 and was buried in Fontevrault Abbey, though some of her entrails may possibly have been later interred in her father's foundation at Reading Abbey.

Revision as of 21:41, 20 November 2008

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