In 1135, Stephen of Blois usurped the throne, stealing it from his cousin Empress Matilda and sparking a 19-year civil war that would become known as the Anarchy, one of the bloodiest periods in English history. On the one side is Empress Matilda. The sole surviving legitimate child of Henry I, she is fighting for […]
The Anarchy: a true cousins’ war
The 19 years of civil war between Henry I’s daughter, Matilda, and her cousin, Stephen of Blois, were so destructive they came to be known as the Anarchy. Sharon Bennett Connolly, author of a new book about the women of the Anarchy, explains how the conflict began and why it could be called a true […]
The Stolen Crown by Carol McGrath
When Princess Matilda is 18 years old, tragedy strikes the royal family, and she becomes the only child of the king of England — the de facto heir to the throne. As her dying father persuades the barons to pledge allegiance to her, Matilda returns to England — but the lords and clergy do not […]
The Empress Matilda and the stolen crown
Carol McGrath’s novel The Stolen Crown retells the extraordinary story of the Empress Matilda and her fight to gain the throne of England during the 12th-century civil war known as the Anarchy. It’s a period, as she says, of “thrills, jeopardy and unforgettable characters”. When I began to write Empress Matilda’s story I wondered if […]
Twice Royal Lady by Hilary Green
Matilda of England. Betrothed at eight. Married at 12. And crowned Empress in her late teens. Matilda is the only legitimate daughter of Henry I of England. She’s also the granddaughter of William the Conqueror and is a descendent – through her mother – from the ancient line of Anglo-Saxon kings. She is made a […]
Matilda: The greatest king England never had
Catherine Hanley writes for Historia about Empress Matilda, the greatest king England never had.