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The Empress Matilda: Queen Consort, Queen Mother and Lady of the English Hardcover – September 26, 1991
This is a biography of the Empress Matilda. Granddaughter of William the Conqueror and of King Malcolm of the Scots, and daughter of Henry I, Matilda fought for the throne of England, arguably hers by right, for nine years, and was denied it largely because she was a woman. Contemporary chroniclers said of her that she was "always superior to feminine softness and with a mind steeled and unbroken in adversity". In valour and determination Matilda may be compared with Boudicca, or with Elizabeth I, yet most of the serious work on her action-packed life and historical importance lies in untranslated German studies of the last century. In this book Marjorie Chibnall examines her career as a whole, as King Henry's daughter, as the wife and consort of Emperor Henry V, as Countess of Anjou after the Emperor's death, and as regent for her son, Henry II. In the final chapter the author examines the various ways in which Matilda has been judged by historians through the ages, and offers an assessment of the character and achievements of the woman who was described in her epitaph as "great by birth, greater by marriage and greatest in her offspring". This biography, pieced together from archival sources all over Europe, should be of value and interest both to scholars and the general reader.
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First published October 1, 1992
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About the author
Marjorie Chibnall
31 books10 followersMarjorie Morgan McCallum Chibnall OBE FBA was an English historian, medievalist and Latin translator.
She was educated at Shrewsbury Priory County Girls School and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she later became a Research fellow. She became a Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge, but relinquished the fellowship when she decided in 1965 to give up teaching to complete her editorial work on the Historia Ecclesiastica of Orderic Vitalis. Four years later she was made a Research Fellow and subsequently a Fellow of Clare Hall, University of Cambridge (and Honorary Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge. Earlier in her career she had taught at the University of Southampton and the University of Aberdeen. Chibnall's early research focused on medieval Normandy. Her career spanned more than six decades, and she continued to publish well into her 90's. Her last book, a brilliant short account of the Normans was published in 2006.
Marjorie Chibnall was an active participant at the Battle Conferences on Anglo-Norman history and an editor of their proceedings. She was a fellow of the British Academy. Her masterly edition of Orderic Vitalis was probably her greatest contribution to the study of the Anglo Norman period, but her biography of the Empress Matilda also attracts widespread admiration.
She was educated at Shrewsbury Priory County Girls School and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, where she later became a Research fellow. She became a Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge, but relinquished the fellowship when she decided in 1965 to give up teaching to complete her editorial work on the Historia Ecclesiastica of Orderic Vitalis. Four years later she was made a Research Fellow and subsequently a Fellow of Clare Hall, University of Cambridge (and Honorary Fellow of Girton College, Cambridge. Earlier in her career she had taught at the University of Southampton and the University of Aberdeen. Chibnall's early research focused on medieval Normandy. Her career spanned more than six decades, and she continued to publish well into her 90's. Her last book, a brilliant short account of the Normans was published in 2006.
Marjorie Chibnall was an active participant at the Battle Conferences on Anglo-Norman history and an editor of their proceedings. She was a fellow of the British Academy. Her masterly edition of Orderic Vitalis was probably her greatest contribution to the study of the Anglo Norman period, but her biography of the Empress Matilda also attracts widespread admiration.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 22, 2011
The Empress Matilda was the daughter of King Henry I of England, the wife of two men, the Emperor Henry V and Geoffrey of Anjou and mother of King Henry II of England.
After the death of her only sibling, her brother William, in the sinking of the White Ship in 1120, and especially after her first husband's death and her return to the Anglo-Norman realm of her father, she featured heavily in the succession crisis caused by the lack of direct male heirs of the Conqueror. Matilda should have become our first post-conquest Queen.
What happened instead was a prolonged civil war between Matilda and her cousin Stephen. However, although she never won the throne for herself, it was her son not Stephen's that succeeded to the throne after Stephen's death. While the ultimate prize she sought was never hers, she was ultimately successful in her struggles.
Marjorie Chibnall writes well. This is an academic book, with lots of useful footnotes, but it can be easily understood by the non-specialist. She considers the whole of her subject's career, including her time in Germany as well as her years in Normandy after the civil war. Interestingly, Chibnall seems to indicate that she had a greater role in the administration of the duchy on behalf of her son than did her son's wife, the (in)famous Eleanor of Aquitaine. Her son, by this evidence would seem to have had more regard for his mother's political skills than many modern writers, although as he grew more experienced his mother's influence does seem to have declined.
What I would have liked to have seen was more parallels with other women of the time. After Stephen's capture at the battle of Lincoln the two warring sides both found themselves in the pretty unprecedented situation of both having women at their heads. A comparison between the contemporary views of these women - Matilda and Matilda of Boulougne, Stephen's wife - could have given the work another dimension.
What I never really appreciated before reading this book was how divided the country was during stages of the civil war. Both protaganists had areas under the control of themselves and their supporters which were relatively impregnable. Matilda's heartlands were in the West Country and South Wales, centered on the domains of her half-brother Robert of Gloucester. She even minted her own coins. I also liked Marjorie Chibnall's analysis of the treatment of women and inheritance, and the relatively fluid and unsettled nature of inheritance at this time. She describes how eighteenth century scholars - writing when women had become acceptable as rulers - were baffled by the fact her son ruled in both Normandy and England during his mother's lifetime. By examining the competing ideas of political inheritance at the time, and in particular the association of an heiress with a man as ruler, usually either a husband or son, Chibnall shows how this state of affairs came about.
Ultimately a sympathetic look at the Empress, this book is one of the most interesting books on medieval women I have read. I would recommend it.
After the death of her only sibling, her brother William, in the sinking of the White Ship in 1120, and especially after her first husband's death and her return to the Anglo-Norman realm of her father, she featured heavily in the succession crisis caused by the lack of direct male heirs of the Conqueror. Matilda should have become our first post-conquest Queen.
What happened instead was a prolonged civil war between Matilda and her cousin Stephen. However, although she never won the throne for herself, it was her son not Stephen's that succeeded to the throne after Stephen's death. While the ultimate prize she sought was never hers, she was ultimately successful in her struggles.
Marjorie Chibnall writes well. This is an academic book, with lots of useful footnotes, but it can be easily understood by the non-specialist. She considers the whole of her subject's career, including her time in Germany as well as her years in Normandy after the civil war. Interestingly, Chibnall seems to indicate that she had a greater role in the administration of the duchy on behalf of her son than did her son's wife, the (in)famous Eleanor of Aquitaine. Her son, by this evidence would seem to have had more regard for his mother's political skills than many modern writers, although as he grew more experienced his mother's influence does seem to have declined.
What I would have liked to have seen was more parallels with other women of the time. After Stephen's capture at the battle of Lincoln the two warring sides both found themselves in the pretty unprecedented situation of both having women at their heads. A comparison between the contemporary views of these women - Matilda and Matilda of Boulougne, Stephen's wife - could have given the work another dimension.
What I never really appreciated before reading this book was how divided the country was during stages of the civil war. Both protaganists had areas under the control of themselves and their supporters which were relatively impregnable. Matilda's heartlands were in the West Country and South Wales, centered on the domains of her half-brother Robert of Gloucester. She even minted her own coins. I also liked Marjorie Chibnall's analysis of the treatment of women and inheritance, and the relatively fluid and unsettled nature of inheritance at this time. She describes how eighteenth century scholars - writing when women had become acceptable as rulers - were baffled by the fact her son ruled in both Normandy and England during his mother's lifetime. By examining the competing ideas of political inheritance at the time, and in particular the association of an heiress with a man as ruler, usually either a husband or son, Chibnall shows how this state of affairs came about.
Ultimately a sympathetic look at the Empress, this book is one of the most interesting books on medieval women I have read. I would recommend it.
July 30, 2018
The Empress Matilda is a fascinating character whose history is obscured by time, the gender, social, and political conventions of the day, and the nature of historical writing during her lifetime. Chibnall does as fine a job as I think can be done to tell Matilda's story and get at her character.
The difficulty confronting Chibnall (and any historian/biographer of this time) is the intersection between medieval historiography and the social, political, and gender conventions of Matilda's time. Histories were largely confined to chroniclers, who often lived in monastic communities. They recorded what they directly observed but were highly reliant on information passed by word of mouth in a time when travel was burdensome. They could also be highly partisan, as monastic foundations were frequently beholden to noble patrons who had their own agendas. Add to that a society based on feudalism--most importantly at the time, the provision of military services to the liege--where women had few legal rights and very little history of direct rule, and it's not surprising that some chroniclers viewed Matilda with suspicion, if not disdain.
Chibnall tries to flesh out Matilda's character and her limited rule in Germany, Normandy, and England by reference to the charters that she issued. This doesn't always make for easy reading (tracking charter after charter, who received a grant, who witnessed the charter can get tedious), but the overall point is that Matilda used her political power carefully. She rewarded supporters where and when she could, and, because of her limited resources, asserted her power by issuing charters for property previously issued by her rival, Stephen. By treating her charter as being the effective one, she asserted both her own rights and delegitimized Stephen's. At least, that was the intent. It's difficult to tell how effective her approach was. But it demonstrates that she did use the tools available to her.
Chibnall also does a good job of showing why Matilda failed to gain the throne. Popular sentiment (repeated by Ellis Peters in her Cadfael mysteries) is that Matilda had the crown within her grasp, but lost it because of her pride, alienating the Londoners that she needed. But the picture was more complex. In 1141, the Pope and most of the Church refused to disavow Stephen, who was the anointed king, precisely because he had been crowned in accordance with the rules of the church. To gain London, Matilda needed the support of both the Tower's castellan, Geoffrey de Mandeville, and the Londoners, but de Mandeville and the Londoners were rivals when it came to exercising power in the city. Finally, her great supporter and uncle David, King of the Scots, wanted his candidate confirmed for bishopric of Durham, and Matilda supported him. Unfortunately, David's candidate was opposed by Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, Stephen's brother, and newly-minted Matilda supporter. That conflict damaged Matilda's alliance with Henry, leading to the disasters of later that year.
Matilda may very well have been prideful, but she was also intelligent and resourceful. She made a few mistakes at a critical time, but probably the only reason she couldn't recover from those mistakes is because she was a woman trying to secure what was seen as a man's position. Certainly, Stephen made many more significant mistakes, but he was able to retain support and recover (to a certain extent) because he fit the idea of what a monarch should be.
We are too far distant in time, and too little direct evidence is left, to be confident of Matilda's character and motives. But, considering the disabilities facing her upon the death of her father, what she achieved, with the help of some devoted and talented supporters, is astonishing. For her to win and hold the loyalty of Robert of Gloucester, Miles of Gloucester, and Brian Fitz Count, she must have had great personal charisma and force of character.
All in all, this is a very good biography of a fascinating person.
The difficulty confronting Chibnall (and any historian/biographer of this time) is the intersection between medieval historiography and the social, political, and gender conventions of Matilda's time. Histories were largely confined to chroniclers, who often lived in monastic communities. They recorded what they directly observed but were highly reliant on information passed by word of mouth in a time when travel was burdensome. They could also be highly partisan, as monastic foundations were frequently beholden to noble patrons who had their own agendas. Add to that a society based on feudalism--most importantly at the time, the provision of military services to the liege--where women had few legal rights and very little history of direct rule, and it's not surprising that some chroniclers viewed Matilda with suspicion, if not disdain.
Chibnall tries to flesh out Matilda's character and her limited rule in Germany, Normandy, and England by reference to the charters that she issued. This doesn't always make for easy reading (tracking charter after charter, who received a grant, who witnessed the charter can get tedious), but the overall point is that Matilda used her political power carefully. She rewarded supporters where and when she could, and, because of her limited resources, asserted her power by issuing charters for property previously issued by her rival, Stephen. By treating her charter as being the effective one, she asserted both her own rights and delegitimized Stephen's. At least, that was the intent. It's difficult to tell how effective her approach was. But it demonstrates that she did use the tools available to her.
Chibnall also does a good job of showing why Matilda failed to gain the throne. Popular sentiment (repeated by Ellis Peters in her Cadfael mysteries) is that Matilda had the crown within her grasp, but lost it because of her pride, alienating the Londoners that she needed. But the picture was more complex. In 1141, the Pope and most of the Church refused to disavow Stephen, who was the anointed king, precisely because he had been crowned in accordance with the rules of the church. To gain London, Matilda needed the support of both the Tower's castellan, Geoffrey de Mandeville, and the Londoners, but de Mandeville and the Londoners were rivals when it came to exercising power in the city. Finally, her great supporter and uncle David, King of the Scots, wanted his candidate confirmed for bishopric of Durham, and Matilda supported him. Unfortunately, David's candidate was opposed by Henry of Blois, Bishop of Winchester, Stephen's brother, and newly-minted Matilda supporter. That conflict damaged Matilda's alliance with Henry, leading to the disasters of later that year.
Matilda may very well have been prideful, but she was also intelligent and resourceful. She made a few mistakes at a critical time, but probably the only reason she couldn't recover from those mistakes is because she was a woman trying to secure what was seen as a man's position. Certainly, Stephen made many more significant mistakes, but he was able to retain support and recover (to a certain extent) because he fit the idea of what a monarch should be.
We are too far distant in time, and too little direct evidence is left, to be confident of Matilda's character and motives. But, considering the disabilities facing her upon the death of her father, what she achieved, with the help of some devoted and talented supporters, is astonishing. For her to win and hold the loyalty of Robert of Gloucester, Miles of Gloucester, and Brian Fitz Count, she must have had great personal charisma and force of character.
All in all, this is a very good biography of a fascinating person.
April 13, 2016
I had heard of The Anarchy before reading this book, and I knew the cliffnotes version of the battle between Stephen and Matilda for the English Crown. However it wasn't until I read The Empress Matilda that I got a fuller view of the conflict and the woman who was central to the conflict.
Marjorie Chibnall used impressive research to write an easy to read biography of the mother of the Plantagenet dynasty, who for a time was also the crowned Empress(-consort) of the Holy Roman Empire. Chibnall's attempted to give the reader a full view of Matilda and her actions, though soon speculation is offered due to the lack of sources surrounding a particular event Chibnall does does offer evidence based on previously presented sources.
Overall this is an good biography and I recommend it.
Marjorie Chibnall used impressive research to write an easy to read biography of the mother of the Plantagenet dynasty, who for a time was also the crowned Empress(-consort) of the Holy Roman Empire. Chibnall's attempted to give the reader a full view of Matilda and her actions, though soon speculation is offered due to the lack of sources surrounding a particular event Chibnall does does offer evidence based on previously presented sources.
Overall this is an good biography and I recommend it.
April 24, 2019
The Empress truly was an incredible woman.
Even though this is an academic text, it's still incredibly easy to read and to follow along (with the exception of a few places where there are multiple people of the same name involved in an event, though Chibnall does her best to distinguish between the main players as much as she can). I would have perhaps liked a little more on Matilda's life in Normandy, but maybe there was not the source base for it. However I did appreciate the amount of time devoted to her early years in Germany, as not many other English texts on Matilda discuss this period in detail like Chibnall.
Read for my Honours History thesis.
Even though this is an academic text, it's still incredibly easy to read and to follow along (with the exception of a few places where there are multiple people of the same name involved in an event, though Chibnall does her best to distinguish between the main players as much as she can). I would have perhaps liked a little more on Matilda's life in Normandy, but maybe there was not the source base for it. However I did appreciate the amount of time devoted to her early years in Germany, as not many other English texts on Matilda discuss this period in detail like Chibnall.
Read for my Honours History thesis.
June 19, 2019
A really good, but very scholarly, examination of the life of the Empress Matilda. It was fascinating, but admittedly a little hard going in places. Students of history will no doubt find it fascinating.
September 5, 2018
A thoughtful study of a woman who was bashed by the historians (churchmen) of her time and demonized over the centuries.
It is so refreshing to read a biography written by an outstanding historian who is fair, who reflects on people and situations, and who explains how she (the historian) sifts through the available historical record. My favorite part of Chibnall's study is that she saves her analysis of past historians' portrayals of Matilda Empress until her final chapter, instead of placing it earlier.
Anyway, in case you don't know, this Matilda was the daughter of King Henry I of England and Matilda of Scotland; the wife of Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, then widowed; next, wife of Count Geoffrey of Anjou; and, mother of King Henry II of England. Chibnall's version, though, makes it clear that Matilda was an actor in politics from the time she was 8 years old and was shipped off to her first husband. She ruled kingdoms in all but name, made major league mistakes and took the consequences for them, and forced the king and country that had denied her the position of queen to accept her son as their king.
It is so refreshing to read a biography written by an outstanding historian who is fair, who reflects on people and situations, and who explains how she (the historian) sifts through the available historical record. My favorite part of Chibnall's study is that she saves her analysis of past historians' portrayals of Matilda Empress until her final chapter, instead of placing it earlier.
Anyway, in case you don't know, this Matilda was the daughter of King Henry I of England and Matilda of Scotland; the wife of Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor, then widowed; next, wife of Count Geoffrey of Anjou; and, mother of King Henry II of England. Chibnall's version, though, makes it clear that Matilda was an actor in politics from the time she was 8 years old and was shipped off to her first husband. She ruled kingdoms in all but name, made major league mistakes and took the consequences for them, and forced the king and country that had denied her the position of queen to accept her son as their king.
February 5, 2020
Chinball does her best to write a biography of Empress Matilda. It's unfortunate that not many documents detailing Matilda's life exist, so Chinball had to use charters to assume where she was and what her intentions were with these charters at certain times. If that sounds boring, it's because it is. The first half of the book was quite hard to follow because the author bounces around in time talking about this charter or that. It was very confusing. Unfortunatly this may have be one of the few ways to get information about Matilda's movements and times. This had to be a difficult book to write wit the resources available, but still, it was quite dry, disjointed at times, and sometimes boring. I find Mathilda to be an incredibly interesting, strong, tenacious woman. Even though there isn't more recording of her life, what Chinball presented proves my what I feel.
Read
November 25, 2020Excellent biography demonstrating what new information researchers can find by reading the primary sources that survive from the 12th century with different questions and expectations.
November 12, 2010
This is yet another core book in my research for my novels.
Professor Chibnall's work on Empress Mathilda (whom I refer to as her alternative name "Maud" in my novels to avoid confusion with her rival King Stephen's wife and queen who shares the same name) is the definitive academic work on this lady. Although there has been criticism of it as an apologia for a lady who really did unnecessarily blow her chances, I found her efforts to put Mathilda in perspective within her time, bringing in other examples of women called upon to function as monarchs in a time when that was considered a completely inappropriate role for a woman, very valuable. Yes, she's sympathetic to her subject, but not to the point of distortion. It's a masterful biography, plain and simple. Detailed and appropriate erudite, yet quite readable for the lay person, it's a must for anyone seriously researching this period.
Professor Chibnall's work on Empress Mathilda (whom I refer to as her alternative name "Maud" in my novels to avoid confusion with her rival King Stephen's wife and queen who shares the same name) is the definitive academic work on this lady. Although there has been criticism of it as an apologia for a lady who really did unnecessarily blow her chances, I found her efforts to put Mathilda in perspective within her time, bringing in other examples of women called upon to function as monarchs in a time when that was considered a completely inappropriate role for a woman, very valuable. Yes, she's sympathetic to her subject, but not to the point of distortion. It's a masterful biography, plain and simple. Detailed and appropriate erudite, yet quite readable for the lay person, it's a must for anyone seriously researching this period.
November 13, 2014
Reading the Brother Cadfael mysteries got me interested int he Civil War in the 1130s to '40s. This was a short but very thorough history of the Empress Matilda. Near the end, I did skim a bit, because Chibnall is quite exhaustive in listing various grants to individuals and the church. I appreciated her critical approach to previous sources, noting that some authors clearly had an agenda and did not represent events accurately. What a challenge for the historian!
April 8, 2012
This is a scholarly work, based on existing, and sometimes conflicting, documents. Not one of the many fictionalized accounts of strong medieval women. Nothing romantic about this book, which makes it all the more trustworthy.
July 19, 2012
Interesting period of history and slippery moment in the history of the monarchy. I'm sure the book represents exacting scholarship, but it is an academic book a little devoid of life. Wish a popular biographer would grab take up this topic!
February 22, 2013
This was fascinating for me, but that's because I am a fan of this period of history and live in the area where a lot of her battles against King Stephen took place. I've even looked around Oxford Castle which she fled from in the snow. Love it. But it isn't a story book, it's a history book :)
September 18, 2014
Most likely the best scholarly work on Empress Matilda, the 12th-century daughter of King Henry I of England, who fought for her right to succeed to the English throne in a decades-long struggle known as the Anarchy. A must-read for those interested in the history of the Anarchy.
December 31, 2016
This is a thoughtful and insightful book about the Empress that makes a good use of sources available. I wish it was longer or gave more of a narrative, or focused less on those around her and more on the story of Matilda, but overall good
November 1, 2016
THE resource for all things Matilda. Impressively researched... but Chibnall's writing can be a bit boring.
April 28, 2022
A well referenced non-fiction biography of Empress Matilda. Chronologically following Matilda's life as well as her representation after death. This is the best biography on Empress Matilda to-date.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews