Geni requires JavaScript! [216][nb 21] This tomb was damaged in a fire in 1263 and later restored in 1282, before finally being destroyed by an English army in 1421. She settled her court near Rouen and for the rest of her life concerned herself with the administration of Normandy, acting on Henry's behalf when necessary. [5] For Henry, marrying Matilda of Scotland had given his reign increased legitimacy, and for her it had been an opportunity for high status and power in England. Find out about Empress Matilda of England's family tree, family history, ancestry, ancestors, genealogy, relationships and affairs! Matilda was heir to the English king, Henry I, but was usurped by Stephen resulting in civil war. His mother, Empress Matilda, was a claimant to the English throne as the daughter of Henry I (11001135). [185], Conclusion of the war[edit] Picture of Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitain, 12th-century depiction of Matilda's eldest son Henry II and his wife Eleanor holding court The character of the conflict in England gradually began to shift; by the late 1140s, the major fighting in the war was over, giving way to an intractable stalemate, with only the occasional outbreak of fresh fighting. [11], Matilda helped to deal with several diplomatic crises. On January 7, 1114 she married the Emperor. A compromise was eventually reached whereby the son of Matilda and Geoffrey would be heir to the English crown, while Stephen's son would inherit his baronial lands. Death: Sep . (1894). [209] Matilda and Henry were equally insistent that it should remain at Reading Abbey, where it had become a popular attraction for visiting pilgrims. Medieval Mothering (New Middle Ages), sub. [71] Henry appears to have blamed Geoffrey for the separation, but in 1131 the couple were finally reconciled. [233] Like other members of the Anglo-Norman nobility, she bestowed considerable patronage on the Church. [208] Frederick I, the Holy Roman Emperor, considered the hand to be part of the imperial regalia and requested that Henry return it to Germany. William died there in January 1164, reportedly of disappointment and sorrow. [220] During the civil war for England, her status was uncertain. Matilda returned to Normandy, now in the hands of her husband, in 1148, leaving her eldest son to continue the campaign in England; he eventually succeeded to the throne as Henry II in 1154. Matilda of Scotland (originally christened Edith, [a] 1080 - 1 May 1118), also known as Good Queen Maud, or Matilda of Blessed Memory, was Queen of England and Duchess of Normandy as the first wife of King Henry I. [22] When acting as regent in Italy, she found the local rulers were prepared to accept a female ruler. [83] Contemporary chronicler accounts were each coloured by subsequent events, and while sources favourable to Matilda suggested that Henry had reaffirmed his intent to grant all his lands to his daughter, hostile chroniclers argued that Henry had renounced his former plans and had apologised for having forced the barons to swear an oath of allegiance to her. [68] Over the course of the next year, Fulk decided to depart for Jerusalem, where he hoped to become king, leaving his possessions to Geoffrey. Empress Matilda - Biographical Summaries of Notable People - MyHeritage [168] Once on the other side, the King and his men stormed into the town, trapping Matilda in the castle. [6], Matilda had a younger, legitimate brother, William Adelin, and her father's relationships with numerous mistresses resulted in around 22 illegitimate siblings. [58] The Anglo-Norman barons were gathered together at Westminster on Christmas 1126, where in January they swore to recognise Matilda and any future legitimate heir she might have. [246] By the 19th century, the archival sources on Matilda's life, including charters, foundation histories, and letters, were being uncovered and analysed. Geoffrey Count "Geoffrey of Anjou" of Nantes. [109] The town of Bristol itself proved too strong for him, and Stephen contented himself with raiding and pillaging the surrounding area. [177] Later in the year Geoffrey de Mandeville, the Earl of Essex, rose up in rebellion against Stephen in East Anglia. In 1153, the death of Stephen's 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. Upon their arrival, Geoffrey turned Normandy over to Henry and retired to Anjou. Matilda, daughter of King Henry I and Matilda of Scotland She and her husband Geoffrey entered Normandy and began military campaigns to claim her inheritance there. [133] Robert of Gloucester's men retook some of the territory that Stephen had taken in his 1139 campaign. [32][nb 6] There are few records of her rule over the next two years, but she probably gained considerable practical experience of government. Matilda, also called Maud, German Mathilde, (born 1102, Londondied Sept. 10, 1167, near Rouen, Fr. [229] The first were initially minted in Oxford during her stay there, and the design was then adopted by her mints at Bristol, Cardiff and Wareham after her victory at the Battle of Lincoln. Died. [11], In late 1108 or early 1109, Henry V, then the King of the Romans, sent envoys to Normandy proposing that Matilda marry him, and wrote separately to her royal mother on the same matter. Henry I had no further children and nominated Matilda as his heir, making his court swear an oath of loyalty to her and her successors, but the decision was not popular in the Anglo-Norman court. [169][nb 18], Stalemate[edit] A map of Normandy in 1142, Geoffrey of Anjou's invasion of Normandy, 114243 In the aftermath of the retreat from Winchester, Matilda rebuilt her court at Devizes Castle, a former property of the Bishop of Salisbury that had been confiscated by Stephen. [77] At Pentecost 1134, a second son, Geoffrey, was born in Rouen, but the childbirth was extremely difficult and Matilda appeared close to death. Meanwhile, the social landscape altered dramatically, as the Norman aristocracy came to prominence. [51] Henry may have begun to look among his nephews for a possible heir. The war degenerated into a stalemate, with Matilda controlling much of the south-west of England, and Stephen the south-east and the Midlands. Matilda (Normandie) of England (1102-1167) | WikiTree FREE Family Tree [116] Matilda also appealed to the papacy at the start of the year; her representative, Bishop Ulger, put forward her legal claim to the English throne on the grounds of her hereditary right and the oaths sworn by the barons. [194] Matilda first played for time, then left for Normandy in early 1148, leaving the castle to Henry, who then procrastinated over its return for many years. [26], Paschal fled when Henry and Matilda arrived, and in his absence the papal envoy Maurice Bourdin, later the Antipope Gregory VIII, crowned the pair at St. Peter's Basilica, probably that Easter and certainly by Pentecost. The Empress Matilda - Dangerous Women Project [21] Matilda now entered public life in Germany, complete with her own household. [95] Their discussions were interrupted by the sudden news from England that Stephen's coronation was to occur the next day. [249], Matilda has attracted relatively little attention from modern English academics, being treated as a marginal figure in comparison to other contemporaries, particularly her rival Stephen, in contrast to the work carried out by German scholars on her time in the Empire. The civil war between supporters of Stephen and the supporters of Matilda has proven popular as a subject in historical fiction. [78] Matilda recovered, and Henry was overjoyed by the birth of his second grandson, possibly insisting on another round of oaths from his nobility. [1] [48] Many of these barons had taken an oath to stay in Normandy until the late king was properly buried, which prevented them from returning to England. [102] The Norman forces then deserted the King, forcing Stephen to give up his campaign. [64] William Adelin had married Fulk's daughter Matilda, which would have cemented an alliance between Henry and Anjou, but the White Ship disaster put an end to this. [134] In an effort to negotiate a truce, Henry of Blois held a peace conference at Bath, at which Matilda was represented by Robert. [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. Her cousin Stephen of Blois was, like her, a grandchild of William (the Conqueror) of Normandy; but her paternal line meant she was senior to Stephen in the line of succession. BBC - History - Historic Figures: Matilda (1102 - 1167) [186] Several of Matilda's key supporters died: in 1147 Robert of Gloucester died peacefully, and Brian Fitz Count gradually withdrew from public life, probably eventually joining a monastery; by 1151 he was dead. [19][20][nb 5] In January 1114 Matilda was ready to be married to Henry, and their wedding was held at the city of Worms amid extravagant celebrations. Henry I. named Matilda his heir in January 1127. Dictionary of national biography. [237] She had close links to the Cistercian Mortemer Abbey in Normandy, and drew on the house for a supply of monks when she supported the foundation of nearby La Valasse. Matilda and Henry had no children, and when he died in 1125, the crown was claimed by Lothair II, one of his political enemies. [201] Henry returned to England once again at the start of 1153 with a small army, winning the support of some of the major regional barons. [234] Early on in her life, she preferred the well-established Benedictine monastery of Cluny alongside some of the newer Augustinian orders, such as the Victorines and Premonstratensians. They made Henry's nephew, Stephen, the new King. [29] Nonetheless, Matilda maintained that she had been officially crowned as the empress in Rome. [206] Particularly in the initial years of his reign, the King drew on her for advice on policy matters. Empress Matilda, from "History of England" by St. Albans monks, 15th century Matilda was nominated by her father as the heir to the throne of England, but in 1135 Stephen of Blois claimed that his uncle had changed his mind on his deathbed, recognising Stephen instead as his successor to the throne. Empress Matilda MATILDA: A woman ruler was unprecedented and her marriage to Geoffrey was unpopular. Geoffrey V (24 August 1113 - 7 September 1151), called the Handsome, the Fair (French: le Bel) or Plantagenet, was the Count of Anjou, Touraine and Maine by inheritance from 1129, and also Duke of Normandy by conquest from 1144. [67] She felt that marrying the son of a count diminished her own status and was probably also unhappy about marrying someone so much younger than she was Matilda was 25, and Geoffrey was only 13. He was made a prisoner and effectively deposed. The Empress Matilda 'Maud Beauclerc Of England, Empress Of Germany 1167; William Beauclerc Prince Of England, Duke of Normandy /1103-1120 Half-siblings. [149] Despite securing the support of Geoffrey de Mandeville, who controlled the Tower of London, forces loyal to Stephen and Queen Matilda remained close to the city and the citizens were fearful about welcoming the Empress. Matilda is a character in Jean Anouilh's play Becket. [66] Henry's solution was now to negotiate the marriage of Matilda to Geoffrey, recreating the former alliance. The royal control over the minting of coins broke down, leading to coins being struck by local barons and bishops across the country. [83], Road to war[edit] Colour map of Northern France at time of Henry I's death, Northern France around the time of Henry's death; red circles mark major urban centres When news began to spread of Henry I's death, Matilda and Geoffrey were in Anjou, supporting the rebels in their campaign against the royal army, which included a number of Matilda's supporters such as Robert of Gloucester. [163] Stephen travelled north to raise new forces and to successfully persuade Ranulf of Chester to change sides once again. [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. Henry V Holy Roman Emperor. [55] Henry's plans shifted when the Empress Matilda's husband, the Emperor Henry, died in 1125. [16] On 25 July Matilda was crowned Queen of the Romans in a ceremony at Mainz. In 1139 Matilda crossed to England to take the kingdom by force, supported by her half-brother, Robert of Gloucester, and her uncle, King David I of Scotland, while Geoffrey focused on conquering Normandy. [49] The problem was further complicated by the sequence of unstable Anglo-Norman successions over the previous sixty years. Queen Matilda, Empress Maud and the Civil War with King Stephen. In 1114, she married the Holy Roman Emperor Henry V. The death of Matilda's brother in 1120 made her Henry I's sole legitimate heir. from Plantagenet Ancestry, Douglas Richardson, et al, p1, via Google Books, Before Aug 12 1102 - of, London, Middlesex, England Death: Sep 17 1169 - Notre Dame, Rouen, Seine-Maritime, France Parents: Henry I "Beauclerc" England, Matilda "Atheling" Princess England (born Scotland) Siblings: Robert "The King's Caen, Maud, Princess of England, [Duchess of Bret, Elizabeth Princess of Galloway, Princess (born England), Son Prince of England, William "Atheling" Prince England, William Prince of England, Richard Prince of England, Gundred Princess of England, Rohese Princess of England, Isabel Hedwig Of England, Sibyl Elizabeth Queen Scotland, Rainald de Dunstanville Husband: Geoffrey V The Plantagenet Husband: Heinrich V Emperor Germany Children: Adewis Plantagenet, Henry II "Plantagenet" England, Marie Shaftesbury, Abbess of, Geoffrey VI "Mantell" Plantagenet, Guillaume Plantagenet, William Plantagenet, Emma Owen, [Princess of Wal (born Plantagenet), Geoffrey Nantes Plantagenet, Matilda From the British Monarchy's web page. The Geneanet family trees are powered by Geneweb 7.0. She was helped by her half-brother, the Earl of Gloucester. Save this record and choose the information you want to add to your family tree. Matilda, his legitimate daughter, had married Henry V, The Holy Roman Emperor and was styled as The Empress Matilda in English, as she preferred. This was not the case in England, where the best a noble could do was to identify what Professor Eleanor Searle has termed a pool of legitimate heirs, leaving them to challenge and dispute the inheritance after his death. p. 50. [182] Miles of Gloucester, one of the most talented of her military commanders, had died while hunting over the previous Christmas. [69] Fulk finally left Anjou for Jerusalem in 1129, declaring Geoffrey the Count of Anjou and Maine. [44] She does not appear to have expected to return to Germany, as she gave up her estates within the Empire, and departed with her personal collection of jewels, her own imperial regalia, two of Henry's crowns and the valuable relic of the Hand of St James the Apostle. [46] Possibly as a result of overcrowding, or excessive drinking by the ship's master and crew, the vessel foundered just outside the harbour and all but two of the passengers died. 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.
