Empress Matilda
Empress Matilda (c. 7 February 1102–10 September 1167), sometimes called Empress Maud, was the second child of Henry I of England and Matilda of Scotland. Her brother, William Adelin, died in the wreck of the White Ship in 1120.[1] This made Matilda the hereditary heir to the English throne.[2] At her father's death in 1135, her cousin King Stephen rushed to take the throne.[2] This led to a civil war between Stephen and Matilda, known as the Anarchy.[3]
| Matilda of England | |
|---|---|
| Empress consort of the Holy Roman Empire; Queen consort of the Romans; later Duchess consort of the Romans
| |
| File:Https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/39/Matilda-Mara-Wilson.webp | |
| Lady of the English (disputed) | |
| Reign | April 1141 - November 1141 |
| Predecessor | Stephen |
| Successor | Stephen |
| Spouse | Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor m. 1114 dec. 1125 Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou m. 1128 dec. 1151 |
| Issue | |
| Henry II of England Geoffrey VI, Count of Anjou William, Count of Poitou | |
| Father | Henry I of England |
| Mother | Matilda of Scotland |
| Burial | Rouen |
She was called "empress" because as a child she was married to Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor.[4] She was Queen of England for a short time in 1141. The feud between Matilda and Stephen ended when Matilda's son, Henry, was named by Stephen as his successor. This was at the Treaty of Wallingford in 1153. Stephen's own chosen successor, his son Eustace, died in 1153.
Empress Matilda Media
12th-century depiction of Matilda and Henry's wedding feast
A 14th-century depiction of the White Ship sinking of 1120
Contemporary depiction of Geoffrey of Anjou, Matilda's second husband
Northern France around the time of Henry's death; red circles mark major urban centres
A Matilda silver penny, minted in Oxford
The Battle of Lincoln, 1141:*Template:Image key*
St George's Tower at Oxford Castle
Geoffrey of Anjou's invasion of Normandy, 1142–43
References
- ↑ C. Warren Hollister, Henry I (New Haven; London: Yale University Press, 2003), p. 278
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Queens and Power in Medieval and Early Modern England, eds. Carole Levin; R. O. Bucholz (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2009), p. 1
- ↑ John M. Riddle, A History of the Middle Ages, 300-1500 (Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2008), p. 297
- ↑ Women and Gender in Medieval Europe: An Encyclopedia, ed. Margaret Schaus (New York; Oxford: Routledge, 2006), p. 551