[10] There is no detailed description of Matilda's appearance; contemporaries described Matilda as being very beautiful, but this may have simply reflected the conventional practice among the chroniclers. [35] Her husband was occupied in finding a compromise with the Pope, who had excommunicated him. [71] Henry appears to have blamed Geoffrey for the separation, but in 1131 the couple were finally reconciled. The Barons went back on their promise. The invasion had created an Anglo-Norman elite, many with estates spread across both sides of the English Channel. But the ad hoc, shallow-rooted precedents of the last 50 years precipitated crisis when Henry I died in 1135. [41] Before his death he left the imperial insignia in the control of Matilda, but it is unclear what instructions he gave her about the future of the Empire, which faced another leadership election. Matilda died at Notre Dame du Pr near Rouen in 1167 and was buried in the Abbey of Bec-Hellouin, Normandy. The pair visited Rome in 1117 where they were crowned in a ceremony led only by an Archbishop (Heinrich was already crowned in 1111 by the pope) but she used the title of an Empress her whole life. On Henry V's death, Matilda was recalled to Normandy by her father, who arranged for her to marry Geoffrey of Anjou to form an alliance to protect his southern borders. [189] He had remained in France when the Empress first left for England. Henry I. named Matilda his heir in January 1127. [94] The Normans argued that the count, as the eldest grandson of William the Conqueror, had the most valid claim over the kingdom and the Duchy, and was certainly preferable to Matilda. [220] During the civil war for England, her status was uncertain. Empress Matilda's marriage appeared to be a difficult one. [38], Matilda and Henry remained childless, but neither party was considered to be infertile and contemporary chroniclers blamed their situation on the Emperor and his sins against the Church. Rules of succession in western Europe at the time were uncertain; in some parts of France, male primogeniture, in which the eldest son would inherit a title, was becoming more popular. [11], Matilda helped to deal with several diplomatic crises. [74] The council also gave another collective oath of allegiance to recognise her as Henry's heir. [98] Matilda may have asked Ulger, the Bishop of Angers, to garner support for her claim with the Pope in Rome, but if she did, Ulger was unsuccessful. Family tree for Adeleide, Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I showing: parents sibling partners children Edith (Matilda) of Scotland 1080 - 1118 Henry I of England 1068 - 1135 William Atheling 1103 - 1120 1. [225] Matilda gathered revenues from the royal estates in the counties under her control, particularly in her core territories where the sheriffs were loyal to her cause. Marjorie Chibnall has said that "the evidence is against" the theory of the siblings being twins, citing various reasons, such as William of Malmesbury stating they were born on different dates. Chibnall described it as an "uncorroborated" story and Hermann as an "unreliable" source.[14]. When Henry I died in 1135 Matilda's cousin Stephen of Blois immediately had himself crowned king. [108], Revolt[edit] Picture of a silver penny coin, A Matilda silver penny, minted in Oxford Matilda's half-brother, Robert of Gloucester, was one of the most powerful Anglo-Norman barons, controlling estates in Normandy as well as the Earldom of Gloucester. Empress Matilda, who was also known as Empress Maude, claimed the English throne during the chaotic civil war called the Anarchy. [32][nb 6] There are few records of her rule over the next two years, but she probably gained considerable practical experience of government. She and her husband Geoffrey entered Normandy and began military campaigns to claim her inheritance there. Upon their arrival, Geoffrey turned Normandy over to Henry and retired to Anjou. From "Henry II of England" at http://sbaldw.home.mindspring.com/hproject/prov/henry002.htm. Henry died of cancer on 23 May 1125 after which the 23-year-old Matilda returned to her father in England. [49] The problem was further complicated by the sequence of unstable Anglo-Norman successions over the previous sixty years. The Empire was governed by elected monarchs who, like Henry V, had been selected by the major nobles to become the King of the Romans. [204], Later life[edit] Picture of Henry II and Thomas Becket, Early 14th-century representation of Henry II and Thomas Becket, arguing Matilda spent the rest of her life in Normandy, often acting as Henry's representative and presiding over the government of the Duchy. [3] These barons typically had close links to the kingdom of France, which was then a loose collection of counties and smaller polities, under only the minimal control of the king. The Geneanet family trees are powered by Geneweb 7.0. [118] The Pope declined to reverse his earlier support for Stephen, but from Matilda's perspective the case usefully established that Stephen's claim was disputed. 2.3k views Matilda, the daughter of King Henry I of England, known as the Empress Maud when she married the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, mother of King Henry II of England and "Lady of the English" is now one of the featured Connections! [36] The council settled the long-running dispute with the Church when Henry gave up his rights to invest bishops with their episcopal regalia. saveTextPlaceholder. Get Started. She attempted to mediate in the quarrel between her son Henry and Becket, but was unsuccessful. Henry II of England 1133 - 1189 Henry I, the youngest son of William the Conqueror, had over twenty children but only two of them were legitimate - twins William and Matilda. [52] Theobald of Blois, his close ally, possibly also felt that he was in favour with Henry. Relations between Henry and his youngest brother, William X, Count of Poitou, were more cordial, and William was given vast estates in England. Routledge Cavendish. She was 12 and her husband was 32 years old. [224], Matilda presented herself as continuing the English tradition of centralised royal government, and attempted to maintain a government in England parallel to Stephen's, including a royal household and a chancellor. Archbishop Thomas Becket refused to allow William to marry the Countess of Surrey and the young man fled to Matilda's court at Rouen. [12] The match was attractive to the English King: his daughter would be marrying into one of the most prestigious dynasties in Europe, reaffirming his own, slightly questionable, status as the youngest son of a new royal house, and gaining him an ally in dealing with France. The Domesday Book, a great record of English land-holding, was published; the forests were extended; the Exchequer was founded; and a start was made on the Tower of London. [186] Henry asked his mother for money, but she refused, stating that she had none available. [22], Political conflict broke out across the Empire shortly after the marriage, triggered when Henry arrested his Chancellor Adalbert and various other German princes. [66] Henry's solution was now to negotiate the marriage of Matilda to Geoffrey, recreating the former alliance. Monarch; Consort; Line of Succession . They made Henry's nephew, Stephen, the new King. [16] On 25 July Matilda was crowned Queen of the Romans in a ceremony at Mainz. The war degenerated into a stalemate, with Matilda controlling much of the south-west of England, and Stephen the south-east and the Midlands. [160] Matilda decided to escape from the city with Fitz Count and Reginald of Cornwall, while the rest of her army delayed the royal forces. Empress Matilda MATILDA: Matilda had made a private deal with Henry that he would deliver the support of the Church in exchange for being granted control over Church affairs. [34] In 1119 she returned north to meet Henry in Lotharingia. She was buried under the high altar at Bec Abbey after her death in 1167. 1102 / London. [55] Henry's plans shifted when the Empress Matilda's husband, the Emperor Henry, died in 1125. [152] No help was forthcoming from Stephen's brother Theobald this time either, who appears to have been preoccupied with his own problems with Francethe new French king, Louis VII, had rejected his father's regional alliance, improving relations with Anjou and taking a more bellicose line with Theobald, which would result in war the following year. [193][nb 19], Matilda decided to return to Normandy in 1148, partially due to her difficulties with the Church. [134] In an effort to negotiate a truce, Henry of Blois held a peace conference at Bath, at which Matilda was represented by Robert. The war luck was now more on Stephens side and she had to retire to the Normandy. Matilda became trapped in Oxford Castle by Stephen's forces that winter, and was forced to escape across the River Isis at night to avoid capture. Constitutional history of the UK. Geoffrey and Matilda had secured much of Normandy and, together with Robert, spent the beginning of the year mobilising forces for a cross-Channel expedition. [192] In the end Stephen himself ended up paying off Henry's mercenaries, allowing him to return home safely; his reasons for doing so remain unclear. [1] [2] The drama follows the story of the three sons of William the Conqueror and ends with the early reign of her father Henry, including the time when Matilda became Empress by marrying Henry V of . Her husband, Henry V died in 1125 of cancer. [119] The following month, the Empress was invited by her stepmother, Queen Adeliza, to land at Arundel instead, and on 30 September Robert of Gloucester and Matilda arrived in England with a force of 140 knights. The baron of England had to swear that they would make her queen after her father's death. [176] Stephen attempted to break out and escape, resulting in the Battle of Wilton. Birth of Geoffrey VI "Mantell", count of N "Matilda", "Mathilda", "Mathilde", "Maud", "Adelheid", "Adelaide", "Alice", "Beauclerc", "Plantagenet", "Anjou", "Matilda of England", "Maude", "HR Empress Matilda of England and Queen of Germany", "Holy Roman Empress", "Queen of Germany", "Empress Matilda", "Lady of the English (disp", Rouen, departement de la Seine Maritime, Haute Normandie, France, Holy Roman Empress; Queen of England, April 7 to Nov. 1, 1141 (uncrowned), Princess, Empress Consort of the Holy Roman Empire, Princess of England, Empress of Germany, The Empress of Normandy, Procl. [102] The Norman forces then deserted the King, forcing Stephen to give up his campaign. [213], Death[edit] Matilda died on 10 September 1167, and her remaining wealth was given to the Church. Although she gave up hope of being crowned in 1141, her name always preceded that of her son Henry, even after he became king. [207] Matilda was involved in attempts to mediate between Henry and his Chancellor Thomas Becket when the two men fell out in the 1160s. [171] She established her household knights on the surrounding estates, supported by Flemish mercenaries, ruling through the network of local sheriffs and other officials. [250] Popular, but not always accurate, biographies were written by the Earl of Onslow in 1939 and Nesta Pain in 1978, but the only major academic biography in English remains Majorie Chibnall's 1991 work. It was 1147 when Henry, aged 14, had accompanied Matilda on an invasion of England. [151], Meanwhile, Geoffrey of Anjou invaded Normandy again and, in the absence of Waleran of Beaumont, who was still fighting in England, Geoffrey took all the Duchy south of the River Seine and east of the Risle. Finally, Alison Pill portrayed her in the 2010 TV miniseries The Pillars of the Earth, an adaptation of Follett's novel, although she is initially known in this as Princess Maud not Empress Matilda. Henry V was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in 1117 at Worms. She worked extensively with the Church, founding Cistercian monasteries, and was known for her piety. Discover the family tree of Empress Matilda: daughter of Henry I and claimant to English throne , 4 children, 12 siblings, 2 spouses Find out about Empress Matilda of England's family tree, family history, ancestry, ancestors, genealogy, relationships and affairs! The Anglo-Saxon queens of England had exercised considerable formal power, but this tradition had diminished under the Normans: at most their queens ruled temporarily as regents on their husbands' behalf when they were away travelling, rather than in their own right. [96][nb 13], Matilda gave birth to her third son William on 22 July 1136 at Argentan, and she then operated out of the border region for the next three years, establishing her household knights on estates around the area. [218] Her Italian administration included the Italian chancellor, backed by experienced administrators. [168] Oxford Castle was a powerful fortress and, rather than storming it, Stephen decided to settle down for a long siege. [217] Her remains were lost again after the destruction of Bec-Hellouin's church by Napoleon, but were found once more in 1846 and this time reburied at Rouen Cathedral, where they remain. [51] Henry may have begun to look among his nephews for a possible heir. atilda was the daughter of Henry I, King of England and was to become the mother of Henry II, King of England. [206] Early on, Matilda and her son issued charters in England and Normandy in their joint names, dealing with the various land claims that had arisen during the wars. [88] Nonetheless Stephen reached the edge of London by 8 December and over the next week he began to seize power in England. 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.