Matilda of England

1102 - 1167  (65 years)

• Name	Matilda of England
  Born	07 Feb 1102	Sutton Courtenay, Berkshire, England
  Gender	Female
  Died	10 Sep 1167	Rouen, Seine-Maritime, Haute-Normandie, France
  Buried	Abbey of Our Lady of Bec, Normandy, France, reinterred Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen, Rouen, Haute-Normandie, France
  	Grave location, biography, and cathedral portrait: http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8619917
  Notes	Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Matilda She was also known as Empress Maude and was the daughter of of King Henry I of England and Matilda of Scotland, born around 7 February 1102 at Sutton Courtenay in Oxfordshire. Her father, Henry, was the youngest son of William the Conqueror, who had invaded England in 1066. Little is known about Matilda's earliest life, but she probably stayed with her mother, was taught to read, and was educated in religious morals. She moved to Germany as a child when she married the future Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, her first husband. The match was attractive to the Henry as 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. They had no children, and when Henry died in 1125, the crown was claimed by Lothair II, one of his political enemies. Matilda's younger brother, William Adelin, died in 1120, leaving England facing a potential succession crisis. 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. The marriage proved difficult, as the couple did not particularly like each other. There was a further dispute over Matilda's dowry; she was granted various castles in Normandy by Henry, but it was not specified when the couple would actually take possession of them. Henry I had no further legitimate 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. Henry died in 1135 but Matilda and Geoffrey faced opposition from the Norman barons. The throne was instead taken by Matilda's cousin Stephen of Blois, who enjoyed the backing of the English Church. Stephen took steps to solidify his new regime, but 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. Her son, Henry, remained in France. Matilda's forces captured Stephen at the Battle of Lincoln in 1141, but the Empress's attempt to be crowned at Westminster collapsed in the face of bitter opposition from the London crowds. As a result of this retreat, Matilda was never formally declared Queen of England, and was instead titled the Lady of the English. Robert was captured following the Rout of Winchester in 1141, and Matilda agreed to exchange him for Stephen. Matilda became trapped in Oxford Castle by Stephen's forces that winter, and was forced to escape across the frozen River Isis at night to avoid capture. The war degenerated into a stalemate, with Matilda controlling much of the south-west of England, and Stephen the south-east and the Midlands. Large parts of the rest of the country were in the hands of local, independent barons. This time was called the Anarchy because of the unrest. Matilda returned to Normandy, now in the hands of her husband, in 1148, leaving her eldest son, Henry, to continue the campaign in England; he eventually succeeded to the throne as Henry II in 1154. 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. Particularly in the early years of her son's reign, she provided political advice. She worked extensively with the Church, founding Cistercian monasteries, and was known for her piety. She was buried under the high altar at Bec Abbey after her death in 1167. Her tomb's epitaph included the lines "Great by birth, greater by marriage, greatest in her offspring: here lies Matilda, the daughter, wife, and mother of Henry", which became a famous phrase among her contemporaries.
  Person ID	I35271	Master File
  Last Modified	14 Sep 2016

  
  

  Father	Henry I (Beauclerc) of England,   b. ca 1068, Selby, Yorkshire ,   d. 01 Dec 1135, Saint-Denis-en-Lyons, Normandy, France  (Age ~ 67 years)
  Mother	Matilda of Scotland,   b. ca 1080, Dunfermline Fife, Scotland ,   d. 01 May 1118, Westminister Palace, London, England  (Age ~ 38 years)
  Family ID	F14881	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Geoffrey Plantagenet, Count of Anjou,   b. 24 Aug 1113, France ,   d. 07 Sep 1151, Château-du-Loir, France  (Age 38 years)
  Children	+ 1. Henry II Plantagenet, King of England,   b. 05 Mar 1133, Le Mans, Sarthe, Pays de la Loire, France ,   d. 06 Jul 1189, Chinon Castle, Indre-et-Loire, Centre, France  (Age 56 years)
  Last Modified	27 Jun 2016
  Family ID	F14564	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart