Matilda Queen of England

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(Civil War 1141-52)
 
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'''Matilda''', Princess of England, Queen of Germany, Countess of Anjou, heiress to Normany, Queen of England in 1141
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'''Matilda''', Princess of England, Queen of the Romans, Countess of Anjou, heiress to Normany, [[Monarch of England|Queen of England]] in 1141.  Called "Empress" but never crowned by the Pope.
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This article is written and copyright by Will Johnson, wjhonson@aol.com, Professional Genealogist 2008.
  
 
==First Marriage==
 
==First Marriage==
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Meanwhile Geoffrey has gone on the offensive in Normandy and after a rapid campaign, it fell into his hands, with Rouen surrendering Jan 1144.  In 1148, after the death of her half-brother, Matilda finally returned to Normandy, leaving her son, who, in 1154, would become Henry II, to fight on in England.  Henry was knighted in 1149 by King David of Scotland and they with the Earl of Chester were going to attack Stephen, but the Earl's allegiance had again been bought back by Stephen and so this came to nothing.  Henry returned to Normandy.  Upon his return, his father handed over to him the duchy of Normandy and retired to his own county of Anjou.  Stephen now took this time to try to get the Pope to consecrate Stephen's son Eustache as King of England.  Pope Eugenius however rejected this attempt on the grounds of the original violated oath (to Matilda).
 
Meanwhile Geoffrey has gone on the offensive in Normandy and after a rapid campaign, it fell into his hands, with Rouen surrendering Jan 1144.  In 1148, after the death of her half-brother, Matilda finally returned to Normandy, leaving her son, who, in 1154, would become Henry II, to fight on in England.  Henry was knighted in 1149 by King David of Scotland and they with the Earl of Chester were going to attack Stephen, but the Earl's allegiance had again been bought back by Stephen and so this came to nothing.  Henry returned to Normandy.  Upon his return, his father handed over to him the duchy of Normandy and retired to his own county of Anjou.  Stephen now took this time to try to get the Pope to consecrate Stephen's son Eustache as King of England.  Pope Eugenius however rejected this attempt on the grounds of the original violated oath (to Matilda).
  
Henry again invaded England, Stephen's heir Eustache went mad and died in 1152 and shortly afterward, that same year, the Treaty of Wallingford recognised Henry as Stephen's heir to the throne, even though Stephen had another living son.
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Henry again invaded England, Stephen's heir Eustache went mad and died in 1153 and shortly afterward, that same year, the Treaty of Wallingford recognised Henry as Stephen's heir to the throne, even though Stephen had another living son.
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==Later Life==
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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, 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.
  
==Later Live==
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Although she gave up hope of being crowned Queen in 1141, her name always preceded that of her son Henry, even after he became king. Matilda died at Notre Dame du Pre near Rouen on 10th September 1169 and was buried in the Abbey church of Bec-Hellouin, Normandy (or Fontevrault Abbey), though some of her entrails may possibly have been later interred in her father's foundation at Reading Abbey. 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."
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.
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Latest revision as of 21:57, 19 November 2010

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