Difference between revisions of "Matilda of Flanders" - New World Encyclopedia
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She was the daughter of count [[Baldwin V, Count of Flanders|Baldwin V of Flanders]], and [[Adela of France, Countess of Flanders|Adèle]] (1000-1078/9), daughter of [[Robert II of France]]. | She was the daughter of count [[Baldwin V, Count of Flanders|Baldwin V of Flanders]], and [[Adela of France, Countess of Flanders|Adèle]] (1000-1078/9), daughter of [[Robert II of France]]. | ||
| − | They most likely had 10 or 11 children, two were kings of England, [[William II of England|William Rufus]], 1056–1100, who was succeeded by [[Henry I of England|Henry Beauclerc]], 1068–1135. She acted as [[Regent]] for William in England while he was at war. Theirs was thought to have been a peaceful, loving marriage until her eldest son, Robert, opposed his father after a | + | They most likely had 10 or 11 children, two were kings of England, [[William II of England|William Rufus]], 1056–1100, who was succeeded by [[Henry I of England|Henry Beauclerc]], 1068–1135. She acted as [[Regent]] for William in England while he was at war in England and again as he maintained control and created his English kingdom. Theirs was thought to have been a peaceful, loving marriage until her eldest son, Robert, opposed his father after a series of struggles with his brothers and father turned into war, and William discovered that Matilda had been sending her son money. But she was able to reconcile them and they remained at peace until her death. |
For many years she was thought to have been responsible for the creation of the [[Bayeux Tapestry]], but later scholarship indicated that [[Odo of Bayeux|Odo, Bishop of Bayeux]], William's half brother, ordered its creation to coincide with the dedication of the Cathedral at Bayeux. | For many years she was thought to have been responsible for the creation of the [[Bayeux Tapestry]], but later scholarship indicated that [[Odo of Bayeux|Odo, Bishop of Bayeux]], William's half brother, ordered its creation to coincide with the dedication of the Cathedral at Bayeux. | ||
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==Her life== | ==Her life== | ||
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[[Image:KingWilliam.jpg|thumb|150px|William the Conqueror entering England in 1066, by Alphonse Marie de Neuville, 1883]] | [[Image:KingWilliam.jpg|thumb|150px|William the Conqueror entering England in 1066, by Alphonse Marie de Neuville, 1883]] | ||
| − | There were rumors that Matilda had been in love with the English ambassador to [[Flanders]], a Saxon named Brihtric, who declined her advances after which she | + | There were rumors that Matilda had previously been in love with the English ambassador to [[Flanders]], a Saxon named Brihtric, who declined her advances, after which she chose to marry William. Whatever the truth of the matter, years later when she was acting as [[Regent]] for William in England, she requested and received permission to use her authority to confiscate Brihtric's lands and threw him into prison, where he died. This is the only blot on her character, but at the time revenge was not considered unusual. |
When William was preparing to invade and conquer on the coast of England, Matilda had secretly outfitted a ship, the ''Mora'', out of her own money as a royal pledge of love and constancy during his absence. It was superbly outfitted with beautifully carved, painted and gilded fittings with a golden figure of their youngest son, William, bow and arrow in one hand and a trumpet to his lips in the other. It also had a richly decorated cross at the stern. This was such a surprise to William and his men that it spurned their concerns about war and they rushed to fight and eventually won victory. | When William was preparing to invade and conquer on the coast of England, Matilda had secretly outfitted a ship, the ''Mora'', out of her own money as a royal pledge of love and constancy during his absence. It was superbly outfitted with beautifully carved, painted and gilded fittings with a golden figure of their youngest son, William, bow and arrow in one hand and a trumpet to his lips in the other. It also had a richly decorated cross at the stern. This was such a surprise to William and his men that it spurned their concerns about war and they rushed to fight and eventually won victory. | ||
For many years it was thought that she had some involvement in the creation of the [[Bayeux Tapestry]] (commonly called ''La Tapisserie de la Reine Mathilde'' in French), but historians no longer believe that; it seems to have been commissioned by William's half-brother [[Odo of Bayeux|Odo, Bishop of Bayeux]], and made by English artists in [[Kent]] to coincide with the building of the Bayeux Cathedral. | For many years it was thought that she had some involvement in the creation of the [[Bayeux Tapestry]] (commonly called ''La Tapisserie de la Reine Mathilde'' in French), but historians no longer believe that; it seems to have been commissioned by William's half-brother [[Odo of Bayeux|Odo, Bishop of Bayeux]], and made by English artists in [[Kent]] to coincide with the building of the Bayeux Cathedral. | ||
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| + | Matilda bore William at least 10 children, and he was believed to have been faithful to her, at least up until the time their son Robert rebelled against his father and he discovered that Matilda had been secretly sending her son money. | ||
==Regent of Normandy== | ==Regent of Normandy== | ||
| − | When William left to invade England, he left his wife as regent with his young son, Robert, in control. Matilda appears to have ruled [[Normandy]] with great ability and success during the absence of her husband. Even though the government was weakened by the wealthy and the powerful having gone to support his cause in England, the duchy, under Matilda's regency, experienced neither rebellion or war. She continued to develop the arts and learning and Normandy became more civilized and refined. Soon William sent for Matilda to share in his triumph in England. She was accompanied by [[Gui, Bishop of Amiens]], and numerous distinguished nobles. They reached England in the spring of 1068. The king was happy to have her join him and preparations were being made for her coronation. Never before had a queen been crowned alongside a king in England. After her coronation she was always addressed as "Queen Regina" | + | When William left to invade England, he left his wife as regent with his young son, Robert, in control. Matilda appears to have ruled [[Normandy]] with great ability and success during the absence of her husband. Even though the government was weakened by the wealthy and the powerful having gone to support his cause in England, the duchy, under Matilda's regency, experienced neither rebellion or war. She continued to develop the arts and learning and Normandy became more civilized and refined. Soon William sent for Matilda to share in his triumph in England. She was accompanied by [[Gui, Bishop of Amiens]], and numerous distinguished nobles. They reached England in the spring of 1068. The king was happy to have her join him and preparations were being made for her coronation. Never before had a queen been crowned alongside a king in England. After her coronation she was always addressed as "Queen Regina." This made her some enemies as previously queens were addressed by the Saxons only as the kings' ladies or companions. Their son, Henry Beau was born in Selby, in Yorkshire, their first child to be born in England. |
But there was difficulties in Normandy and the nobles requested William to send Matilda back. William sent her back in response to this request but also because he feared for the safety of his wife, children, and possessions. Again, Matilda and her eldest son, Robert, were, as before, appointed regents of Normandy. | But there was difficulties in Normandy and the nobles requested William to send Matilda back. William sent her back in response to this request but also because he feared for the safety of his wife, children, and possessions. Again, Matilda and her eldest son, Robert, were, as before, appointed regents of Normandy. | ||
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England suffered much civil war and during this time the King of France, in alliance with the Duke of Brittany, attacked his continental possessions and encouraged the province of Maine to revolt. Matilda, realizing the danger to Normandy sent a letter to her husband for help. William was at war with the King of Scotland, who supported the Saxon rebels. He, then sent the son of Fitz-Osborn, his great supporter, to help the queen. He then made a hasty peace with the Scottish King, and traveled to Normandy with a large army, composed chiefly of Saxons from the districts most likely to revolt, thus bringing home relatives to help dissuade trouble. He crushed Maine, and drove the King of France to sue for peace, bringing stability to Normandy again. | England suffered much civil war and during this time the King of France, in alliance with the Duke of Brittany, attacked his continental possessions and encouraged the province of Maine to revolt. Matilda, realizing the danger to Normandy sent a letter to her husband for help. William was at war with the King of Scotland, who supported the Saxon rebels. He, then sent the son of Fitz-Osborn, his great supporter, to help the queen. He then made a hasty peace with the Scottish King, and traveled to Normandy with a large army, composed chiefly of Saxons from the districts most likely to revolt, thus bringing home relatives to help dissuade trouble. He crushed Maine, and drove the King of France to sue for peace, bringing stability to Normandy again. | ||
| + | ==Struggle between father and son== | ||
| + | The problem with Robert began when his father returned to Normandy. He had been left in charge and the people looked to him as their ruler. But William said that he was still in charge and even took the lands from Robert's deceased fiance. Added to this his brothers, William and Henry, poured filthy water on him one day to humiliate him and William chose to ignore their disrespecting Robert, his heir. William Rufus, wanted to replace his brother, Robert, as inheritor to his father. Eventually, the situation evolved exponentially into a large scale Norman rebellion. It ended only when [[Philip of France|King Philip]] added his military support to William's thus allowing him to confront Robert and his forces, who were based at Flanders. | ||
| − | + | Also, during the battle in 1079, Robert unhorsed his father in combat and succeeded in wounding him, stopping his attack only when he recognized his father's voice. Realizing how nearly he just killed his father, he knelt in repentance to his father and then helped him back on his horse. But, humiliated, William cursed his son, then raised the siege and returned to Rouen, after which William revoked Robert's inheritance. When William found Matilda's emissary in the act of giving money to Robert, his rage flamed. When he confronted her, she cried and answered that her mother's love could not allow her to abandon her needy son. Her favorite son was Robert and his favorite was William Rufus. | |
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| − | Also, during the battle in 1079, Robert unhorsed his father in combat and succeeded in wounding him, stopping his attack only when he recognized his father's voice. | ||
[[Image:Robert de Normandie at the Siege of Antioch 1097-1098.JPG|thumb|140px|Eldest son, Robert Curthose, at the [[Siege of Antioch]] (1097-1098) while on crusade.]] | [[Image:Robert de Normandie at the Siege of Antioch 1097-1098.JPG|thumb|140px|Eldest son, Robert Curthose, at the [[Siege of Antioch]] (1097-1098) while on crusade.]] | ||
| − | But at Easter 1080, father and son were reunited by the efforts of Matilda, and a truce | + | But at Easter 1080, father and son were reunited by the efforts of Matilda, and a truce followed. But while she was praying in an abbey, they again quarreled and she fell ill from worry until she died in 1083. After she died, at the age of 51, William became tyrannical, and people blamed it on his having lost her love and good counsel, and perhaps because of the trouble with his son, Robert. |
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| − | + | She had been Duchess of Normandy for 31 years, and Queen of England for 17. Her dying prayer was for her favorite son, Robert, who was in England when she passed. | |
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| − | Contrary to the belief that she was buried at St. Stephen's, also called l'[[Abbaye-aux-Hommes]] in [[Caen]], [[Normandy]], where William was eventually buried, she is entombed at l'[[Abbaye aux Dames]], which is the Sainte-Trinité church, also in Caen. Of particular interest is the eleventh century slab, a sleek black stone decorated with her epitaph, marking her grave at the rear of the church. It is of special note since the grave marker for William was replaced as recently as the beginning of the nineteenth century. Years later, their graves were opened and their bones measured, proving their physical statures. | + | Contrary to the belief that she was buried at St. Stephen's, also called l'[[Abbaye-aux-Hommes]] in [[Caen]], [[Normandy]], where William was eventually buried, she is entombed at l'[[Abbaye aux Dames]], which is the Sainte-Trinité church, also in Caen. Of particular interest is the eleventh century slab, a sleek black stone decorated with her epitaph, marking her grave at the rear of the church. It is of special note since the grave marker for William was replaced as recently as the beginning of the nineteenth century. Years later, their graves were opened and their bones measured, proving their physical statures. During the French Revolution both of their graves were robbed and spread about, the monks had to put the bones carefully back into the caskets. |
==Children== | ==Children== | ||
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==Legacy== | ==Legacy== | ||
[[Image:Matilda of Flanders Jardin du Luxembourg.jpg|thumb|80px|left|Queen Matilda by Carle Elshoecht (1850), Luxembourg Garden, Paris]] | [[Image:Matilda of Flanders Jardin du Luxembourg.jpg|thumb|80px|left|Queen Matilda by Carle Elshoecht (1850), Luxembourg Garden, Paris]] | ||
| − | Matilda's legacy is best seen through her royal lineage and descendants. She was a seventh generation direct descendant of [[Alfred the Great]] from her father, Baldwin, and her marriage to William strengthened his claim to the throne. All sovereigns of England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom are directly descended continuously from her, including Queen [[Elizabeth II]]. For this reason she is considered an important and valuable queen consort. | + | Matilda's legacy is best seen through her royal lineage and descendants as well as her successful regency in Normandy while her husband was in England. She was a seventh generation direct descendant of [[Alfred the Great]] from her father, Baldwin, and her marriage to William strengthened his claim to the throne. All sovereigns of England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom are directly descended continuously from her, including Queen [[Elizabeth II]]. For this reason she is considered an important and valuable queen consort. |
| − | Matilda, sent her son, Robert, money without William's knowledge (he was notoriously poor most of the time) which caused some dissatisfaction between her and William. Her efforts to reconcile their son with his father were successful until the time of her death when Robert left home and traveled in Europe until his father's death. The rivalry between sons of a king often leads to war and further divisions of the nobles and royal families | + | Matilda, sent her son, Robert, money without William's knowledge (he was notoriously poor most of the time) which caused some dissatisfaction between her and William and probably broke his heart. Her efforts to reconcile their son with his father were successful until the time of her death when Robert left home and traveled in Europe until his father's death. The rivalry between sons of a king often leads to war and further divisions of the nobles and royal families. William I, on his deathbed, divided his inheritance to avoid this potential problem. He left the [[Duchy of Normandy]] to Robert and to William Rufus, the control of the Kingdom of [[England]]. The third son, Henry Beauclerc, was given money to buy land. |
For many years Matilda (and her maids) was credited with the creation of the [[Bayeux Tapestry]], primarily by the French. Current scholarship believes that the half-brother of [[William I of England|William the Conqueror]], [[Odo of Bayeux|Odo, Bishop of Bayeux]], commissioned the enormous tapestry to coincide with the building of the cathedral at Bayeux and in fact the work was done in Kent, under Odo's supervision. Rivalry concerning the tapestry and other issues still exists between the English and the French, though lightheartedly for the most part. | For many years Matilda (and her maids) was credited with the creation of the [[Bayeux Tapestry]], primarily by the French. Current scholarship believes that the half-brother of [[William I of England|William the Conqueror]], [[Odo of Bayeux|Odo, Bishop of Bayeux]], commissioned the enormous tapestry to coincide with the building of the cathedral at Bayeux and in fact the work was done in Kent, under Odo's supervision. Rivalry concerning the tapestry and other issues still exists between the English and the French, though lightheartedly for the most part. | ||
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==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| − | * [http://www.monsalvat.globalfolio.net/eng/dominator/matilda_of_flanders/lancelott/index.php "Matilda of Flanders, Queen of William the First, usually styled William the Conqueror" | + | * [http://www.monsalvat.globalfolio.net/eng/dominator/matilda_of_flanders/lancelott/index.php "Matilda of Flanders, Queen of William the First, usually styled William the Conqueror," by Francis Lancelott Esq.] |
{{English consort}} | {{English consort}} | ||
Revision as of 22:46, 11 January 2009
| Matilda of Flanders | |
|---|---|
| Queen consort of the English Duchess consort of Normandy | |
| |
| Consort | 25 December 1066 – 2 November 1083 |
| Consort to | William I the Conqueror |
| Issue | |
| Robert II Curthose William II Rufus Adela, Countess of Blois Henry I Beauclerc | |
| Royal House | House of Normandy |
| Father | Baldwin V, Count of Flanders |
| Mother | Adela Capet |
| Born | c. 1031 |
| Died | 2 November 1083 (aged c. 52) |
| Buried | Abbaye aux Dames Caen, Normandy |
Matilda of Flanders (c. 1031 – 2 November 1083) was Queen consort of the Kingdom of England and the wife of William I the Conqueror.
She was the daughter of count Baldwin V of Flanders, and Adèle (1000-1078/9), daughter of Robert II of France.
They most likely had 10 or 11 children, two were kings of England, William Rufus, 1056–1100, who was succeeded by Henry Beauclerc, 1068–1135. She acted as Regent for William in England while he was at war in England and again as he maintained control and created his English kingdom. Theirs was thought to have been a peaceful, loving marriage until her eldest son, Robert, opposed his father after a series of struggles with his brothers and father turned into war, and William discovered that Matilda had been sending her son money. But she was able to reconcile them and they remained at peace until her death.
For many years she was thought to have been responsible for the creation of the Bayeux Tapestry, but later scholarship indicated that Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, William's half brother, ordered its creation to coincide with the dedication of the Cathedral at Bayeux.
Her life
Matilda (or "Maud") was the daughter of count Baldwin V of Flanders, and Adèle, 1000-1078/9, daughter of Robert II of France, and was descended on her father's side from King Alfred the Great of England. At 4'2" (127 cm) tall, she was, according to the Guinness Book of Records, England's smallest queen.
Legend has it that when the emissary of William, Duke of Normandy (later king of England as William the Conqueror), came to ask for her hand in marriage, Matilda considered herself far too high-born to consider marrying him, since he was considered a bastard.[1] The story goes that when her response was reported to him, William rode from Normandy to Bruges, found Matilda on her way to church, dragged her off her horse by her long braids, threw her down in the street in front of her flabbergasted attendants, and then rode off. Another version relates that William rode to Matilda's father's house in Lille, threw her to the ground in her room (again by the braids), and either hit her or violently shook her before leaving. Naturally her father, Baldwin, took offense at this but, before they drew swords, Matilda settled the matter by deciding to marry him,[2] and even a papal ban, by Pope Leo IX (on the grounds of consanguinity) did not dissuade her.
William married Matilda in 1053 in the Cathedral of Notré Dame at Eu, Normandy (Seine-Maritime). William was about 24 years old and Matilda was 22. William is said to have been a faithful and loving husband, and their marriage produced four sons and six or seven daughters. In repentance for what was considered by the pope a consanguine marriage (they were distant cousins), William built and donated St. Stephen's church (l'Abbaye-aux-Hommes) and Matilda built and donated Sainte-Trinité church (Abbaye aux Dames).
There were rumors that Matilda had previously been in love with the English ambassador to Flanders, a Saxon named Brihtric, who declined her advances, after which she chose to marry William. Whatever the truth of the matter, years later when she was acting as Regent for William in England, she requested and received permission to use her authority to confiscate Brihtric's lands and threw him into prison, where he died. This is the only blot on her character, but at the time revenge was not considered unusual.
When William was preparing to invade and conquer on the coast of England, Matilda had secretly outfitted a ship, the Mora, out of her own money as a royal pledge of love and constancy during his absence. It was superbly outfitted with beautifully carved, painted and gilded fittings with a golden figure of their youngest son, William, bow and arrow in one hand and a trumpet to his lips in the other. It also had a richly decorated cross at the stern. This was such a surprise to William and his men that it spurned their concerns about war and they rushed to fight and eventually won victory.
For many years it was thought that she had some involvement in the creation of the Bayeux Tapestry (commonly called La Tapisserie de la Reine Mathilde in French), but historians no longer believe that; it seems to have been commissioned by William's half-brother Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, and made by English artists in Kent to coincide with the building of the Bayeux Cathedral.
Matilda bore William at least 10 children, and he was believed to have been faithful to her, at least up until the time their son Robert rebelled against his father and he discovered that Matilda had been secretly sending her son money.
Regent of Normandy
When William left to invade England, he left his wife as regent with his young son, Robert, in control. Matilda appears to have ruled Normandy with great ability and success during the absence of her husband. Even though the government was weakened by the wealthy and the powerful having gone to support his cause in England, the duchy, under Matilda's regency, experienced neither rebellion or war. She continued to develop the arts and learning and Normandy became more civilized and refined. Soon William sent for Matilda to share in his triumph in England. She was accompanied by Gui, Bishop of Amiens, and numerous distinguished nobles. They reached England in the spring of 1068. The king was happy to have her join him and preparations were being made for her coronation. Never before had a queen been crowned alongside a king in England. After her coronation she was always addressed as "Queen Regina." This made her some enemies as previously queens were addressed by the Saxons only as the kings' ladies or companions. Their son, Henry Beau was born in Selby, in Yorkshire, their first child to be born in England.
But there was difficulties in Normandy and the nobles requested William to send Matilda back. William sent her back in response to this request but also because he feared for the safety of his wife, children, and possessions. Again, Matilda and her eldest son, Robert, were, as before, appointed regents of Normandy.
England suffered much civil war and during this time the King of France, in alliance with the Duke of Brittany, attacked his continental possessions and encouraged the province of Maine to revolt. Matilda, realizing the danger to Normandy sent a letter to her husband for help. William was at war with the King of Scotland, who supported the Saxon rebels. He, then sent the son of Fitz-Osborn, his great supporter, to help the queen. He then made a hasty peace with the Scottish King, and traveled to Normandy with a large army, composed chiefly of Saxons from the districts most likely to revolt, thus bringing home relatives to help dissuade trouble. He crushed Maine, and drove the King of France to sue for peace, bringing stability to Normandy again.
Struggle between father and son
The problem with Robert began when his father returned to Normandy. He had been left in charge and the people looked to him as their ruler. But William said that he was still in charge and even took the lands from Robert's deceased fiance. Added to this his brothers, William and Henry, poured filthy water on him one day to humiliate him and William chose to ignore their disrespecting Robert, his heir. William Rufus, wanted to replace his brother, Robert, as inheritor to his father. Eventually, the situation evolved exponentially into a large scale Norman rebellion. It ended only when King Philip added his military support to William's thus allowing him to confront Robert and his forces, who were based at Flanders.
Also, during the battle in 1079, Robert unhorsed his father in combat and succeeded in wounding him, stopping his attack only when he recognized his father's voice. Realizing how nearly he just killed his father, he knelt in repentance to his father and then helped him back on his horse. But, humiliated, William cursed his son, then raised the siege and returned to Rouen, after which William revoked Robert's inheritance. When William found Matilda's emissary in the act of giving money to Robert, his rage flamed. When he confronted her, she cried and answered that her mother's love could not allow her to abandon her needy son. Her favorite son was Robert and his favorite was William Rufus.
But at Easter 1080, father and son were reunited by the efforts of Matilda, and a truce followed. But while she was praying in an abbey, they again quarreled and she fell ill from worry until she died in 1083. After she died, at the age of 51, William became tyrannical, and people blamed it on his having lost her love and good counsel, and perhaps because of the trouble with his son, Robert.
She had been Duchess of Normandy for 31 years, and Queen of England for 17. Her dying prayer was for her favorite son, Robert, who was in England when she passed.
Contrary to the belief that she was buried at St. Stephen's, also called l'Abbaye-aux-Hommes in Caen, Normandy, where William was eventually buried, she is entombed at l'Abbaye aux Dames, which is the Sainte-Trinité church, also in Caen. Of particular interest is the eleventh century slab, a sleek black stone decorated with her epitaph, marking her grave at the rear of the church. It is of special note since the grave marker for William was replaced as recently as the beginning of the nineteenth century. Years later, their graves were opened and their bones measured, proving their physical statures. During the French Revolution both of their graves were robbed and spread about, the monks had to put the bones carefully back into the caskets.
Children
Some doubt exists over how many daughters there were. This list includes some entries which are obscure.
- Robert Curthose, c. 1054 – 1134, Duke of Normandy, married Sybil of Conversano, daughter of Geoffrey of Conversano
- Adeliza (or Alice), c. 1055 – ?, reportedly betrothed to Harold II of England. Her existence is in some doubt.
- Cecilia/or Cecily, c. 1056 – 1126, Abbess of Holy Trinity, Caen
- William Rufus, 1056 – 1100, King of England
- Richard, Duke of Bernay, 1057 – c. 1081, killed by a stag in New Forest
- Alison (or Ali), 1056 -c. 1090, was once announced the most beautiful lady, yet died unmarried
- Adela, c. 1062 – 1138, married Stephen, Count of Blois
- Agatha, c. 1064 – c. 1080, betrothed to (1) Harold of Wessex, (2) Alfonso VI of Castile
- Constance, c. 1066 – 1090, married Alan IV Fergent, Duke of Brittany; poisoned, possibly by her own servants
- Matilda, very obscure, her existence is in some doubt
- Henry Beauclerc, 1068–1135, King of England after his brother William died, married (1) Edith of Scotland, daughter of Malcolm III, King of Scotland, (2) Adeliza of Louvain
Gundred, c. 1063 – 1085, wife of William de Warenne, c. 1055 – 1088, was formerly thought of as being yet another of Matilda's daughters, with speculation that she was William I's full daughter, a stepdaughter, or even a foundling or adopted daughter. However, this connection to William I has found no record.
Legacy
Matilda's legacy is best seen through her royal lineage and descendants as well as her successful regency in Normandy while her husband was in England. She was a seventh generation direct descendant of Alfred the Great from her father, Baldwin, and her marriage to William strengthened his claim to the throne. All sovereigns of England, Great Britain and the United Kingdom are directly descended continuously from her, including Queen Elizabeth II. For this reason she is considered an important and valuable queen consort.
Matilda, sent her son, Robert, money without William's knowledge (he was notoriously poor most of the time) which caused some dissatisfaction between her and William and probably broke his heart. Her efforts to reconcile their son with his father were successful until the time of her death when Robert left home and traveled in Europe until his father's death. The rivalry between sons of a king often leads to war and further divisions of the nobles and royal families. William I, on his deathbed, divided his inheritance to avoid this potential problem. He left the Duchy of Normandy to Robert and to William Rufus, the control of the Kingdom of England. The third son, Henry Beauclerc, was given money to buy land.
For many years Matilda (and her maids) was credited with the creation of the Bayeux Tapestry, primarily by the French. Current scholarship believes that the half-brother of William the Conqueror, Odo, Bishop of Bayeux, commissioned the enormous tapestry to coincide with the building of the cathedral at Bayeux and in fact the work was done in Kent, under Odo's supervision. Rivalry concerning the tapestry and other issues still exists between the English and the French, though lightheartedly for the most part.
| English royalty | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by: Edith of Wessex |
Queen consort of the English 25 December 1066 – 2 November 1083 |
Succeeded by: Matilda of Scotland |
Notes
ReferencesISBN links support NWE through referral fees
- Cantor, Norman F. The Civilization of the Middle Ages, Harper Perennial, 1994. ISBN 0060925531
- Douglas, David C. William the Conqueror; the Norman impact upon England. Berkeley, CA: University of California, 1964. ISBN 0520003500
- Fettu, Annie. Queen Matilda: Princess of Flanders, Duchess of Normandy, Queen of England, circa 1032 - 1083, Cully: Orep Editions, 2005. ISBN 9782912925817
- Hilliam, Paul. William the Conqueror: First Norman King of England, Rosen Publishing Group, 2005. ISBN 1404201661
- Lewis, Hilda Winifred. Wife to the bastard, New York, D. McKay Co., 1966. OCLC 1378149
- Strickland, Agnes. Lives of the queens of England 1. Matilda of Flanders. Matilda of Scotland. Adelicia of Louvaine. Matilda of Boulogne. Eleonora of Aquitaine. - 1840, London: Colburn 1840. (7 Editions) OCLC 165803070
- _________________. Lives of the queens of England from the Norman conquest: With anecdotes of their courts; (Now first published from official records and other authentic documents, private as well as public), Philadelphia: Lea & Blanchard, 1841. (From the 2nd London ed., with corrections and additions) OCLC 8830518
External links
George, Duke of Cumberland (1702-1707) · Mary of Modena (1685-1688) · Catherine of Braganza (1662-1685) · Henrietta Maria of France (1625-1649) · Anne of Denmark (1603-1619) · Philip II of Spain (1554-1558) · Lord Guildford Dudley (1553) · Catherine Parr (1543-1547) · Catherine Howard (1540-1542) · Anne of Cleves (1540) · Jane Seymour (1536-1537) · Anne Boleyn (1533-1536) · Catherine of Aragon (1509-1533) · Elizabeth of York (1486-1503) · Anne Neville (1483-1485) · Elizabeth Woodville (1464-1483) · Margaret of Anjou (1445-1471) · Catherine of Valois (1420-1422) · Joanna of Navarre (1403-1413) · Isabella of Valois (1396-1399) · Anne of Bohemia (1383-1394) · Philippa of Hainault (1328-1369) · Isabella of France (1308-1327) · Marguerite of France (1299-1307) · Eleanor of Castile (1272-1290) · Eleanor of Provence (1236-1272) · Isabella of Angoulême (1200-1216) · Berengaria of Navarre (1191-1199) · Eleanor of Aquitaine (1154-1189) · Matilda of Boulogne (1135-1152) · Geoffrey V, Count of Anjou (1141) · Adeliza of Louvain (1121-1135) · Matilda of Scotland (1100-1118) · Matilda of Flanders (1066-1083)
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