May 20, 2023 - Initially, their marriage only lasted a year and she angrily returned to England. The King and his council persuaded them to try again. They did and, this time, Geoffrey and Matilda had three sons in quick succession. The eldest eventually would become Henry II. ... On Maud’s father’s death in 1135, Stephen of Blois seized the throne.

August 16, 2023 - There he declared that he was raising ... Gloucester to meet with the Angevins. Ranulf had in fact left his wife in the siege – who happened to be Maud of Gloucester, the daughter of Robert ......

November 17, 2023 - Matilda (Empress Maud), Stephen and The Anarchy, the ‘forgotten’ English Civil War of the 12th century… ... Matilda was an indomitable woman! She was the daughter of King Henry I of England, and was his sole legitimate child after the death of his son Prince William in the ‘White Ship’ disaster.*

May 15, 2023 - Here is a short background to the story of Matilda and Stephen. Henry I had around 19 illegitimate children — but only two legitimate heirs, William and Matilda. In 1120, when his son William died in the White Ship disaster, Matilda (also known as Maud) became his only surviving legitimate heir.

May 20, 2009 - This began one of the most tempestuous lengthy periods in English history. Stephen reigned from 1135 to his death in 1154. Throughout almost all of his reign, civil war and anarchy covered Britain. Queen Matilda, or Empress Maud as she was also called, didn't let Stephen's actions stand.

4 days ago - Following the death of her father, ... legitimate child and styled herself Lady of the English. However, her cousin Stephen of Blois was crowned king in her place....

May 23, 2021 - She stayed at Arundel Castle with her stepmother while Robert attempted to rally support for her across the country. Stephen besieged the castle, effectively trapping Matilda inside.

November 15, 2023 - Galvanised by the news that her husband, King Stephen, had been imprisoned by his vengeful rival and cousin, the Empress Maud (also known as Empress Matilda), the queen was utterly determined to march on London and ensure that the empress would ...

On the death of Henry I in 1135, his favourite nephew, Stephen of Blois, son of his sister Adela, hurried to London, where he secured election and coronation within the month. This contravened the oath he and his fellow barons had sworn in 1127 ...

The Anarchy - Civil War - Stephen and Matilda (1139 - 1154) Tweet ... tephen of Blois, with the approval of the Norman barons, claimed the English throne in 1135 after the death of Henry I, king of England.

4 days ago - Stephen (1092 or 1096 – 25 October 1154), often referred to as Stephen of Blois, was King of England from 22 December 1135 to his death in 1154. He was Count of Boulogne jure uxoris from 1125 until 1147 and Duke of Normandy from 1135 until 1144.

This page has been archived and is no longer updated. Find out more about page archiving. ... Stephen © Stephen usurped the English throne from Matilda in 1135, but failed to consolidate his power during the ensuing civil strife.

September 19, 2025 - During the Anarchy, did Stephen and Matilda try and negotiate or use diplomacy to work it out? Did any other countries try to help? ... TIL that the Hundred Years' War between the kingdoms of England and France actually lasted 116 years.

You are here: UK History > Royal History > House of Normandy > King Stephen | Stephen vs the Empress Matilda · Following the death of Henry I, England fell into a period of civil war, known as The Anarchy. The Anarchy saw the troops of Henry's named heir, his daughter, the Empress Matilda and Henry's nephew, Stephen of Blois, who took the throne and title of King on Henry's death.

December 17, 2023 - Sharpe (trans.), The History of the Kings of England and of his Own Times by William Malmesbury; Catherine Hanley, Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior; Orderici Vitalis, Historiae ecclesiasticae libri tredecem, translated by Auguste Le Prévost; Chronicles of the Reigns of Stephen, Henry II and Richard I; Edmund King, King Stephen; Donald Matthew, King Stephen; Teresa Cole, the Anarchy: The Darkest Days of Medieval England; Matthew Lewis, Stephen and Matilda’s Civil War: Cousins of Anarchy. ... Signed, dedicated copies of all my books are available through my online bookshop. On the one side is Empress Matilda, or Maud.

An exploration of the Anarchy that challenges its chaotic reputation and examines the roles of Empress Matilda and King Stephen. The Anarchy was the first civil war in post-Conquest England, enduring throughout the reign of King Stephen between ...

Her white cloak blended with the snow and she was able to slip through Stephen's troops to safety. End of the Civil War Eventually, a sensible compromise was reached between the two parties. Stephen was to have the throne for the rest of his life after which it would revert to Maud's son, Henry.

King Stephen was the third son of Stephen, Count of Blois and Chartres, and Adela (William the Conqueror's daughter). In 1125, King Henry I married him to his queen's niece Matilda, heiress of Boulogne. King Stephen is described as charming and attractive but he did not inspire trust.

This couple is by no means conventional, yet they have always struck me as devoted to one another in a time of strife and treachery. I hope you enjoy their story · King Stephen has never been acknowledged as one of England's most appealing kings. He usurped the throne from his cousin, Maud, ...

December 18, 2024 - Matilda (also known as Empress Matilda or Maud), daughter of King Henry I, challenges Stephen's claim to the throne and gains support from many nobles, including her half-brother Robert, Earl of Gloucester.