Marching Matilda – the Empress who should have been queen

Last week, Cathie visited with a post about Poppa, forgotten matriarch to the dukes of Normandy. Today, she is back with a post about yet another matriarch, but despite never having been recognised as queen of England, Matilda, daughter of Henry I, is anything but forgotten! From her spring the Plantagenet dynasty that would rule England for over three centuries. I hope that offers some salve to Matilda’s pride, so bruised by the defection of her countrymen who were far happier to acclaim a male king -Matilda’s cousin, Stephen – than the rightful queen. I’m not sure I would like Matilda, and to judge from Cathie’s excerpt below, neither is she. But before that, allow Cathie to give you some background!

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When eight-year old Matilda, daughter of ambitious King Henry I of England, set sail across the channel in early 1110, little did she know how different life as she knew it would turn out to be.

Emerging medieval ruling houses often sought powerful alliances with established dynasties, and Matilda’s marriage to Heinrich V, the future Holy Roman Emperor, was no different. Hers was a fairly new family in European royal circles – her grandfather had been William the Conqueror, Duke of Normandy and King of England by conquest.

But even then, it was unusual for a grown ruler to choose a child bride, as this delayed the arrival of potential heirs considerably. But it appears that Henry, Matilda’s father, was happy to break with that convention (before other royal houses took it up, too). He’d even agreed to an impressive dowry of around 10,000 – 15,000 silver marks – an enormous sum of money! But it must have been worth it, to place his daughter as a consort of a powerful king with a distinguished family tree.

The Salians had rules for four generations, both as Kings of the Germans and as Holy Roman Emperors. They were an entrenched part in the set-up of central European power. Heinrich had to contend with many squabbles during his reign, starting with his own father, who had been excommunicated by the church – repeatedly – and whom young Heinrich forced to abdicate. But the infighting and challenges didn’t end there, meaning he was often travelling great distances.

Into this dysfunctional family arrived Matilda the Child Bride. Their engagement was officially announced in Utrecht, on April 10^th, 1110. From there, they travelled onwards, their progress proving their important union to all. Via Cologne, they travelled to his family seat of Speyer, and then on to Worms where they inaugurated a newbuilt part of the cathedral. Eventually, they arrived in Mainz where Matilda was crowned as Queen of the Germans (or Queen of the Romans) by the archbishop of Cologne.

She was then taken under the wing of the archbishop of Trier, who was to prepare her for her official wedding, set for 1114.

Matilda’s learning focussed on languages and diplomacy, but also on the responsibilities of taking charge of an important royal household, and her role as consort.

When Heinrich was crowned Holy Roman Emperor in April 1111, Matilda was not, as they were not married yet.

Finally, in January 1114, they celebrated their wedding in Mainz. The feast was said to have been a ‘great success’, with the flower of German nobles and princes of the Church attending, though her husband’s tense relationship with his fellow nobles was obvious to all. Heinrich used the wedding to show off his power, which made the celebration an awkward event. What his then twelve-year-old bride thought of her husband’s power games, we don’t know.

Heinrich was around sixteen years older than Matilda, so she had to grow up fast. He travelled often, including to northern Italy, where he had personal interests, and in 1116, she accompanied him to Treviso and Venice. As Heinrich extended his influence there, Matilda was beside him. Until autumn 1116, they remained in the Lombardia and Emilia regions, where they continued to hold court, gathering support.

We must remember that Matilda was only fourteen at that time, yet the role expected of her was that of an experienced queen and consort. Whether she was his companion in a every sense at that time, we don’t know, but by fourteen, it would have been assumed that she’d be sharing her husband’s bed.

In March 1117, they arrived in Rome, where Heinrich’s long-running rift with the pope continued. Pope Paschal fled the city, and Heinrich appointed Papal legate Maurice Bourdin as counter-pope. When Heinrich and Matilda were crowned Holy Roman Emperors in April 1117, it was not the Church-appointed pope who conducted the ceremony, but Bourdin, as Gregory VIII. The important point here is that Bourdin was not the Church’s choice, so not a ’true’ pope in every sense.

This left Matilda with a conundrum that she stoically ignored all her life: strictly speaking, her coronation as Empress was not valid in the eyes of the Church. In German chronicles, she was being referred to as Queen of the Romans, not as Holy Roman Empress. A sticking point that may have influenced papal opinion decades later, during her fight for the throne of England.

Heinrich and Matilda remained in Italy through much of 1118, but with unrest growing in Germany, he returned there in August 1118. Matilda, meanwhile, remained in Italy as his regent, for about a year. In 1119, the imperial couple met again in Utrecht.

Matilda’s role as Queen of the Romans and Holy Roman Empress was of high importance. She took part in negotiations and trials on her husband’s behalf, mediated between warring factions, and issued decrees in her own name. She witnessed important charters and met with influential barons.

At only sixteen, Matilda’s influence far exceeded that of many (adult) medieval queens, in that she was granted full authority by her husband to rule in his name. With so much power, Matilda’s childhood had come to an early end, and she quickly became used to her role as influential negotiator. The haughtiness she was accused of during The Anarchy – the civil war that erupted as a result of Stephen of Blois usurping her throne in England – clearly stemmed from the time when she wielded power on her own. She universally well-respected.

Matilda was at Heinrich’s side when he died on May 23^rd, 1125, alongside his nephew, Friedrich of Hohenstaufen. Friedrich was her husband’s choice of heir, but his over-confidence seemed to have been his downfall. After she had handed over the royal insignia to the archbishop of Mainz, her husband’s enemy, Lothar of Saxony, was chosen as King of the Romans instead.

Matilda left Germany in 1126, never to return. With her, she took her jewellery, two imperial crowns, and an important reliquary.

Matilda was said to have been popular with the German and the Italian citizens. She was highly respected, and wielded great influence. Whether she had children with her first husband, or not, is still a matter of debate. Apparently, they lost one child, young.

The Holy Roman court was rigid, with strict protocols to be observed. It was also a hotbed of political intrigues, through which Matilda had to weave her way. Matilda’s time spent at the German court, during her formative years, prepared her for a life of great importance, power, and duty. It made her the woman she was, and it goes a long way to explaining why she was so insistent on her English inheritance, and to be accepted as Henry’s heir.

Later, chroniclers called her haughty, arrogant. Behaving like a man. Unbecoming of a woman. But Matilda had been an Empress. Exalted to political heights even well above her own father’s station. Was it perhaps envy that drove this negative narrative?

Or simply fear that a powerful woman could rule effectively – and efficiently – in her own right? It seems Heinrich understood his wife better than English and Norman nobles…

Dark Deceit, extract from Chapter Ten.

Easter 1141. The Empress Matilda has ordered Geoffrey de Mortagne, under-sheriff of Gloucestershire and spy for Sheriff Miles, to her Easter court in Oxford, demanding news of her namesake, Stephen’s queen, Maude, who is gathering support for the captured king.

Queenship did not suit Matilda, Geoffrey thought as he kneeled in front of her. She sat in a large, cushioned chair, her back ramrod straight, hands closing over the armrests. When he approached, he had seen her raise an eyebrow at his mud-stained armour. He berated himself for his haste.

“Rise.” Her tone was abrupt, with her habitual note of arrogance.

Slowly, he raised his head to meet her gaze. Her dark glance down her nose assessed him coolly.

She was too haughty, too dismissive. He felt like a piece of untreated meat, left in the heat to rot. Perhaps he should have cleaned himself up, after all, to appear more presentable but the summons had seemed urgent. ’Twas too late now. The sniggers of several courtiers reached his ears. Whispers filled the room. He groaned inwardly.

“Welcome, Sir Geoffrey.” Matilda cut short the murmurs. At the wave of her hand, he straightened fully. “We are pleased to note you have not dithered for wasteful pastimes on your way to us.”

His bile rose. He swallowed it back before he cleared his throat. “I apologise for my appearance, my lady. Your message seemed urgent so I did not wish to waste time.”

“We understand, Sir Geoffrey. Tell me, what are the latest plans of Maude, my cousin?”

Geoffrey tilted his head. “The quee–” He cut himself short as Matilda’s eyes turned into thunderclouds at his blunder. “The lady Maude seeks to free her husband, Stephen, and fight for his throne. She rejects any suggestions of giving up, of leaving the country for her home of Boulogne.”

“That dreadful woman!” Matilda rose and paced the dais, her fingers fidgeting with the elaborate golden embroidery elaborately stitched on her belt. “How dare she defy me? Me? The rightful heir to the throne.” Her footsteps rang loud on the wooden boards.

Geoffrey marvelled at the contrast between the two women. Stephen’s wife, Maude, soft-spoken and utterly feminine, yet with the steely courage of a warrior princess; and Matilda, former empress of all Germans, now Countess of Anjou and soon to be Queen of England, a cold woman with a prideful mind. She would not win many hearts with her fits of temper. Yet, somehow, as the daughter and heir of King Henry, God rest his soul, she demanded loyalty. Loyalty from men like him.

“My lady, if I may speak freely?”

Hard eyes met his. “Continue!”

“I’m sure your advisors have already, well…you must proceed to London at your earliest convenience. The lady Maude has the city quaking in fear of an attack while she is camped south of the River Thames with a strong following. Hurry forth to London, and have yourself crowned queen immediately. That way you can–”

“We thank you for your opinion, Sir Geoffrey, but we regard it as just that. Your opinion. A frenzied ride to London is not only undignified, it is also utterly unthinkable. It reeks of desperation. We shall remain here, in Oxford, to celebrate the holy feast of Easter. Then we will plan for my journey across the country.”

“My lady.” Chastened, Geoffrey inclined his head, grinding his teeth.

She laughed, a sound so alien Geoffrey stared at her to believe it. A smile graced her thin, wide mouth. “Don’t you worry on our behalf, Sir Geoffrey. We shall drive that woman from our realm. And then we shall deal with her hapless husband. You may now leave us to clean yourself up.” She rose and turned away.

Dark Deceit

A cowardly murder. A knight with a cause. A lady in danger. 

England, 1141

Returning from battle at Lincoln, Geoffrey de Mortagne, undersheriff of Gloucester and spy for the Empress Matilda, comes to the aid of a knight who had been ambushed, but he arrives too late. As he has given his word to the dying man to look after his only daughter, Alleyne, Geoffrey stays at her manor whilst he investigates the attack. To his dismay, there is more to it than a mere attack outlaw attack. Soon, Geoffrey is torn between the oath and his duty to the Empress.

Left to fend for herself following her father’s brutal murder, Alleyne de Bellac reluctantly accepts Geoffrey’s support. But she doesn’t trust the taciturn stranger who, she feels, keeps secrets from her, so she writes to Will d’Arques, an old friend of her father, for help. Yet with loyalties changing with the wind, she is no longer able to tell truth from lie.

With her life in danger and her inheritance at stake, which man can Alleyne trust?

Discover England and Normandy divided by the ‘Anarchy’ – a brutal civil war for the English crown between the Empress Matilda and King Stephen the Usurper – where vows are broken and allegiances are rescinded by the stroke of a sword!

Buy it HERE!

Cathie Dunn writes historical fiction, mystery, and romance. The focus of her latest historical series, House of Normandy, is on strong women in early Normandy. She loves researching for her novels, delving into history books, and visiting castles and historic sites. Cathie’s stories have garnered awards and praise from reviewers and readers for their authentic description of the past.

She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, the Alliance of Independent Authors, and the Richard III Society.

After many years in Scotland, Cathie now lives in south of France with her husband, and rescued pets, Charlie Cat and Ellie Dog.

Website: www.cathiedunn.com

Blog: https://ruinsandreading.blogspot.com/

Twitter / X: https://x.com/cathiedunn

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Check out the previous Marching Through History post HERE