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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Calithorne" data-source="post: 7137220" data-attributes="member: 6874058"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Matilda" target="_blank">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Matilda</a>Empress Matilda (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Circa" target="_blank">c.</a> 7 February 1102 – 10 September 1167), also known as the Empress Maude,[SUP]<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Empress_Matilda#cite_note-1" target="_blank">[nb 1]</a>[/SUP] was the claimant to the English throne during the civil war known as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Anarchy" target="_blank">the Anarchy</a>. The daughter of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_Henry_I_of_England" target="_blank">King Henry I of England</a>, she moved to Germany as a child when she married the future <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_Roman_Emperor_Henry_V" target="_blank">Holy Roman Emperor Henry V</a>. She travelled with her husband into Italy in 1116, was controversially crowned in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_St._Peter%27s_Basilica" target="_blank">St. Peter's Basilica</a>, and acted as the imperial <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regent" target="_blank">regent</a> in Italy. Matilda and Henry had no children, and when Henry died in 1125, the crown was claimed by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lothair_II,_Holy_Roman_Emperor" target="_blank">Lothair II</a>, one of his political enemies.Meanwhile, Matilda's younger brother, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Adelin" target="_blank">William Adelin</a>, died in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_Ship" target="_blank">White Ship</a> disaster of 1120, leaving England facing a potential succession crisis. On Emperor Henry V's death, Matilda was recalled to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchy_of_Normandy" target="_blank">Normandy</a> by her father, who arranged for her to marry <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geoffrey_Plantagenet,_Count_of_Anjou" target="_blank">Geoffrey of Anjou</a> to form an alliance to protect his southern borders. Henry I had no further legitimate children and nominated Matilda as his heir, making his court swear an <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oath" target="_blank">oath</a> of loyalty to her and her successors, but the decision was not popular in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Norman" target="_blank">Anglo-Norman</a> court. Henry died in 1135 but Matilda and Geoffrey faced opposition from the Norman barons and were unable to pursue their claims. The throne was instead taken by Matilda's cousin <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen,_King_of_England" target="_blank">Stephen of Blois</a>, who enjoyed the backing of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christianity_in_England" target="_blank">English Church</a>. Stephen took steps to solidify his new regime, but faced threats both from neighbouring powers and from opponents within his kingdom.In 1139 Matilda crossed to England to take the kingdom by force, supported by her half-brother, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert,_1st_Earl_of_Gloucester" target="_blank">Robert of Gloucester</a>, and her uncle, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King_David_I_of_Scotland" target="_blank">King David I of Scotland</a>, while Geoffrey focused on conquering Normandy. Matilda's forces captured Stephen at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Lincoln_(1141)" target="_blank">Battle of Lincoln</a> in 1141, but the Empress's attempt to be crowned at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Westminster_Abbey" target="_blank">Westminster</a> 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 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rout_of_Winchester" target="_blank">Rout of Winchester</a> in 1141, and Matilda agreed to exchange him for Stephen. Matilda became trapped in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oxford_Castle" target="_blank">Oxford Castle</a> by Stephen's forces that winter, and was forced to escape across the frozen <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/River_Isis" target="_blank">River Isis</a> 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.Matilda returned to Normandy, now in the hands of her husband, in 1148, leaving her eldest son to continue the campaign in England; he eventually succeeded to the throne as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_II_of_England" target="_blank">Henry II</a> in 1154. She settled her court near <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rouen" target="_blank">Rouen</a> 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 and attempted to mediate during the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Becket_controversy" target="_blank">Becket controversy</a>. She worked extensively with the Church, founding <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cistercian" target="_blank">Cistercian</a> monasteries, and was known for her piety. She was buried under the high altar at <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bec_Abbey" target="_blank">Bec Abbey</a> after her death in 1167.***Emperess Matilda is so awesome that she inspired me to model one of my NPCs after her, and she turned out to be the PCs most challenging antagonist.Emperess Matilda puts the lie to the notion that women were somehow meek and oppressed creatures prior to the modern age of feminism.  While she did face opposition based on the fact that she was a woman, that didn't stop her or even slow her down!  Once she was held prisoner in a castle, and she managed to repel down from her window and escape across a frozen river at night during the dead of winter!  And because she was such a ball breaker, and did not give up, she ultimately got her son Henry II on the throne, and he became one of the most powerful kings England ever had!</blockquote>

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