Empress Matilda

Empress Matilda was the daughter and heir of King Henry I of England and his first wife Matilda of Scotland. She was married to Henry V, the Holy Roman Emperor, when she was eight years old and crowned Queen of the Romans in 1114. She acted as the imperial regent in Italy and was controversially crowned Empress in St Peter's Basilica in 1116. She had no children with Henry V, who died in 1125. After the death of her only legitimate brother William in 1120, her father named her as his successor and made his nobles swear allegiance to her. However, when Henry I died in 1135, Matilda faced opposition from her cousin Stephen of Blois, who claimed the throne with the support of the English Church. A civil war known as the Anarchy ensued, lasting for almost two decades. Matilda invaded England in 1139 with the help of her half-brother Robert of Gloucester and her uncle David I of Scotland. She captured Stephen at the Battle of Lincoln in 1141, but failed to secure her coronation in London due to hostile crowds. She retreated to Oxford, where she was besieged by Stephen's forces and had to escape across the frozen River Isis in a white cloak. She exchanged Stephen for Robert, who had been captured at the Rout of Winchester. She continued to fight for her cause until 1148, when she returned to Normandy. She then focused on securing the succession of her son Henry, who became the Duke of Normandy in 1150 and invaded England in 1153. Stephen agreed to recognize Henry as his heir by the Treaty of Wallingford, ending the civil war. Matilda died in 1167 at Rouen and was buried at Rouen Cathedral. She is regarded as one of the most remarkable women of the Middle Ages and a symbol of female empowerment.¹²