April 7, 1141: Matilda becomes first female ruler of England

Matilda was born at Sutton Courtenay, in Berkshire, England in 1102. She was the daughter of King Henry I of England and his wife, Matilda of Scotland. Henry was the fourth son of William the Conqueror; becoming king in 1100 after his brother, William II was killed in a hunting accident. Matilda spent her child at her father’s court. In 1108, Henry left to inspect his holdings in Normandy, leaving his daughter in the care of Anselm, the Archbishop of Canterbury. While in Normandy, Henry received entreaties from Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor for his daughter’s hand in marriage. After several meeting with Henry’s envoys, Henry agreed to the match in 1110, and Matilda set sail for the Holy Roman Empire. In their marriage, Henry and Matilda were equals and very much in love, but the couple remained childless. In 1125, Henry V died while on campaign. In the eyes of the Roman elites, the newly widowed Matilda was essentially powerless without her husband; she decided to return to England.

When she arrived in England, a dark pallor hung over the land. She found her father in mourning. Matilda’s brother, William, heir to the throne, had died in the sinking of the White Ship. In 1120, William and some of his entourage sailed back from Normandy.  The trip back was turning out to be a very fun journey, with drinking and dancing into the evening. By nightfall, most onboard were either drunk or asleep. At some point in the night, the ship struck a rock and sank to the bottom of the Channel, drowning everyone onboard. When he heard the news, the King collapsed in grief. William’s death put the succession of the kingdom in turmoil. Initially, Henry hoped to have another son, but was unsuccessful. He then thought maybe that his nephew, Stephen of Blois could be his new heir; but all that changed when Matilda returned to England in 1125.

Henry declared that if he did not sire an heir before he died then he would make Matilda his presumptive heir. However, she needed to find a new husband to cement her new status. In 1125, she went to Normandy to find a suitor. She settled on Geoffrey Plantagenet, son of the Count of Anjou. They were married in 1127. In 1133, Matilda gave birth to a son, the future King Henry II. In Matilda’s absence, her cousin, Stephen of Blois tried to convince Henry to chose him as his heir but he was too ill at this point to make a decision. In 1135, Henry died, setting off a period in English history known as the Anarchy.

In 1136, Matilda attempted to seize power by attacking the Norman stronghold of Argentan. However, for reasons lost to history, she stopped at Argentan. Stephen took this opportunity to have himself crowned King of England. Stephen had acquired a strong supporter the powerful Norman Earl, Robert of Gloucester. When Stephen tried to invade Normandy, he was stymied by Matilda’s forces. In a twist, Robert of Gloucester declared for Matilda, adding to Stephen’s woes. In 1139, Matilda sailed for England, and occupied Arundel Castle. When Stephen heard this, he marched out for Arundel, but he made a fatal mistake. He allowed Matilda to leave before he besieged the castle. She fled into the arms of her ally, Robert of Gloucester. Together they would wage war against Stephen for years. In 1141 at the Battle of Lincoln, Matilda defeated forces lead by Stephen, capturing him in the process. With the King as her prisoner, she took the opportunity to supersede him. On April 7 she was crowned, “Lady of the English.”

Even with her best intentions, Matilda’s reign would not be peaceful. Her male counselors grew tired of her feminine rule, and inspired Stephen’s supporters to come out of hiding. In the days before her coronation, Stephen’s allies rose up against her and forced her off the throne. Stephen was released from prison and recommenced the fight against his cousin. However, both had grown tired of endless war, and now sought a compromise. In return for ceasefire, Stephen would name Matilda’s son, Henry as his heir. In 1154, Stephen died, and Henry II was crowned King of England, establishing the Plantagenet dynasty of the English monarchy. Matilda would die in 1167 at the age of 65.