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Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior
Matilda was a daughter, wife, and mother. But she was also empress, heir to the English crown—the first woman ever to hold the position—and an able military general.
This new biography explores Matilda’s achievements as military and political leader, and sets her life and career in full context. Catherine Hanley provides fresh insight into Matilda's campaign to claim the title of queen, her approach to allied kingdoms and rival rulers, and her role in the succession crisis. Hanley highlights how Matilda fought for the throne, and argues that although she never sat on it herself her reward was to see her son become king. Extraordinarily, her line has continued through every single monarch of England or Britain from that time to the present day.
This new biography explores Matilda’s achievements as military and political leader, and sets her life and career in full context. Catherine Hanley provides fresh insight into Matilda's campaign to claim the title of queen, her approach to allied kingdoms and rival rulers, and her role in the succession crisis. Hanley highlights how Matilda fought for the throne, and argues that although she never sat on it herself her reward was to see her son become king. Extraordinarily, her line has continued through every single monarch of England or Britain from that time to the present day.
296 pages, Hardcover
First published April 23, 2019
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 129 reviews
May 13, 2022
Picked it up on a whim due to the title and got curious as I don't think I've heard about Matilda before. The audiobook was so interesting to listen to, not to info dumpy and quite fascinating and the narration was great
March 28, 2019
I will do a separate review on my blog when I mull about the book a bit more. For now here are some quick, unedited musings about the book itself.
In the introduction of the book Dr. Hanley stated that her book was meant for the general readership and not just for the academics. It is certainly easier to get through it, since it doesn't have 500+ endnotes (the bane of my existence :D ), but it still packs a punch. The information is presented clearly and concisely with Dr. Hanley's no nonsense, but still intense and page-turning style. My absolute favourite parts of the book were when the author subtly and kindly reminds us when we encountered someone before. This makes it easier to follow the narrative considering how many people share the same name (digression: why are so many people called Robert or Matilda or William or Henry?). Another delightful part of the book is the history of everyday life and attitudes during the period which Dr. Hanley so masterfully and seamlessly inserts into her writing that you don't even notice when she stops writing about nobles and starts writing about how noble women were supposed to act or the process of childbirth...
Matilda is a fascinating book to read, you don't have to have background knowledge of the period or the people to start reading it. However, even if you're familiar with the period and the protagonists themselves I believe you will enjoy reading Dr. Hanley's work.
In the introduction of the book Dr. Hanley stated that her book was meant for the general readership and not just for the academics. It is certainly easier to get through it, since it doesn't have 500+ endnotes (the bane of my existence :D ), but it still packs a punch. The information is presented clearly and concisely with Dr. Hanley's no nonsense, but still intense and page-turning style. My absolute favourite parts of the book were when the author subtly and kindly reminds us when we encountered someone before. This makes it easier to follow the narrative considering how many people share the same name (digression: why are so many people called Robert or Matilda or William or Henry?). Another delightful part of the book is the history of everyday life and attitudes during the period which Dr. Hanley so masterfully and seamlessly inserts into her writing that you don't even notice when she stops writing about nobles and starts writing about how noble women were supposed to act or the process of childbirth...
Matilda is a fascinating book to read, you don't have to have background knowledge of the period or the people to start reading it. However, even if you're familiar with the period and the protagonists themselves I believe you will enjoy reading Dr. Hanley's work.
March 11, 2020
Dr. Hanley is right on target in this biographical sketch of the woman who ought to have been the first queen regnant of England. She writes it in a very engaging style, keeping the reader's attention focused on what's happening, and provides amazing insight into her subject.
This time period has always been intriguing to me, though my focus has always been more on the reign of the Empress' son, Henry II, and her daughter-in-law, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Still, when I heard that a biography of Empress Matilda had come out in recent years, I was intrigued. Dr. Hanley explores her subject very well, and I particularly enjoyed the attention she paid to Matilda's early years, during her first marriage to Emperor Henry V, King of the Romans. So often that chapter in her life gets skimmed over in favor of her later years as she worked to try and secure English throne. As such, I was delighted to look into how these years shaped her and prepared her for the trials that would come later when she returned to England. I had no idea, for instance, that she served as regent for her first husband's lands in Italy for nearly a year. Even in exercising authority on her husband's behalf, it must have given her immeasurable experience that would have served her in good stead had she been able to sit as the reigning monarch of England.
Dr. Hanley's analysis of why Matilda was prevented from claiming England in her own right - that too many men of that time period just could not stomach giving that kind of authority to a woman to exercise in her own right, that they could not countenance the idea that a woman would not defer to her husband or her male advisers in all things - sounds very familiar. Matilda's own descendants - Mary I, Elizabeth I, Victoria, etc. - all faced much the same challenges, though by the time they came, things had progressed enough that a woman could ultimately wield power for herself. Her effectiveness often varied, but then, the effectiveness of male rulers often varied as well. Some did very well, some did not. It depended on the person.
Overall, this was a really great book. It wasn't too dense or long, nor was it difficult to follow. An excellent read.
This time period has always been intriguing to me, though my focus has always been more on the reign of the Empress' son, Henry II, and her daughter-in-law, Eleanor of Aquitaine. Still, when I heard that a biography of Empress Matilda had come out in recent years, I was intrigued. Dr. Hanley explores her subject very well, and I particularly enjoyed the attention she paid to Matilda's early years, during her first marriage to Emperor Henry V, King of the Romans. So often that chapter in her life gets skimmed over in favor of her later years as she worked to try and secure English throne. As such, I was delighted to look into how these years shaped her and prepared her for the trials that would come later when she returned to England. I had no idea, for instance, that she served as regent for her first husband's lands in Italy for nearly a year. Even in exercising authority on her husband's behalf, it must have given her immeasurable experience that would have served her in good stead had she been able to sit as the reigning monarch of England.
Dr. Hanley's analysis of why Matilda was prevented from claiming England in her own right - that too many men of that time period just could not stomach giving that kind of authority to a woman to exercise in her own right, that they could not countenance the idea that a woman would not defer to her husband or her male advisers in all things - sounds very familiar. Matilda's own descendants - Mary I, Elizabeth I, Victoria, etc. - all faced much the same challenges, though by the time they came, things had progressed enough that a woman could ultimately wield power for herself. Her effectiveness often varied, but then, the effectiveness of male rulers often varied as well. Some did very well, some did not. It depended on the person.
Overall, this was a really great book. It wasn't too dense or long, nor was it difficult to follow. An excellent read.
August 28, 2025
The Almost Queen of England
I have to say that Catherine Hanley’s Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior was a presently surprising book that I didn’t expect to be as good it is. Hanley’s book is engaging biography of a woman who asked the question of whether a woman could rule over England. She never became queen however, through her grit and determination she was able to secure a dynasty where every reigning monarch has descended from her ever since.
Matilda’s story is extraordinary. She was the daughter of Henry I (1100-1135), as a child she was sent to Germany as a bride, crowned Holy Roman Empress, widowed young, forced into a second marriage in Anjou to Geoffrey Plantagenet, and then recalled to England to press her claim to the throne after her father’s death. Her cousin Stephen (1135-1154) seized the crown, sparking nearly twenty years of civil war known as ‘The Anarchy.’ Hanley traces this trajectory with clarity and energy, balancing politics, personality, and the grinding realities of medieval warfare.
What makes this biography stand out is how Hanley restores Matilda’s agency. Too often, Matilda is dismissed as arrogant, unyielding, or simply ‘unlikeable.’ Hanley pushes past that lazy caricature and shows us a woman navigating the impossible. She makes clear that Matilda’s greatest obstacle wasn’t her character but her gender: in a world where female rule was barely imaginable, every decision she made was judged against double standards that no man had to face. Hanley doesn’t shy away from Matilda’s faults such as her inflexibility in Winchester, some of her strained relationships with supporters, but she sets them in the context of a system that was always stacked against her.
The writing is accessible, straightforward and gives enough depth considering the source material. Hanley handles the complexities of the medieval world well, making it approachable for general readers while still offering insights for the more serious historian. I particularly liked the attention given to Matilda’s early years in Germany, where she learned the art of rulership firsthand as a child empress. It helps explain why she carried herself with such authority later in life authority that male chroniclers often misinterpreted as arrogance. That said, there are moments where the Hanley strays into speculation. She sometimes imagines what Matilda ‘must have felt’ at certain points, which adds color but occasionally drifts toward historical fiction. I also found myself wishing for a deeper dive into the role of the church and the chroniclers who shaped how we view Matilda today. These are probably criticisms that are expected, though they don’t detract much from the overall achievement.
By the final chapters, Hanley shows us Matilda not as a failed ruler but as the architect of her son’s success. Though she never wore the English crown herself, her determination and political savvy paved the way for Henry II (1154-1189) and the Plantagenet dynasty. It’s a powerful reframing: instead of seeing her story as a tragedy, we see it as a legacy. In the end, Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior is a thoughtful and readable portrait. Hanley reminds us that Matilda was never just a ‘queen who never was.’ She was an empress, a warrior, a political strategist and a woman who challenged the limits of her age.
I have to say that Catherine Hanley’s Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior was a presently surprising book that I didn’t expect to be as good it is. Hanley’s book is engaging biography of a woman who asked the question of whether a woman could rule over England. She never became queen however, through her grit and determination she was able to secure a dynasty where every reigning monarch has descended from her ever since.
Matilda’s story is extraordinary. She was the daughter of Henry I (1100-1135), as a child she was sent to Germany as a bride, crowned Holy Roman Empress, widowed young, forced into a second marriage in Anjou to Geoffrey Plantagenet, and then recalled to England to press her claim to the throne after her father’s death. Her cousin Stephen (1135-1154) seized the crown, sparking nearly twenty years of civil war known as ‘The Anarchy.’ Hanley traces this trajectory with clarity and energy, balancing politics, personality, and the grinding realities of medieval warfare.
What makes this biography stand out is how Hanley restores Matilda’s agency. Too often, Matilda is dismissed as arrogant, unyielding, or simply ‘unlikeable.’ Hanley pushes past that lazy caricature and shows us a woman navigating the impossible. She makes clear that Matilda’s greatest obstacle wasn’t her character but her gender: in a world where female rule was barely imaginable, every decision she made was judged against double standards that no man had to face. Hanley doesn’t shy away from Matilda’s faults such as her inflexibility in Winchester, some of her strained relationships with supporters, but she sets them in the context of a system that was always stacked against her.
The writing is accessible, straightforward and gives enough depth considering the source material. Hanley handles the complexities of the medieval world well, making it approachable for general readers while still offering insights for the more serious historian. I particularly liked the attention given to Matilda’s early years in Germany, where she learned the art of rulership firsthand as a child empress. It helps explain why she carried herself with such authority later in life authority that male chroniclers often misinterpreted as arrogance. That said, there are moments where the Hanley strays into speculation. She sometimes imagines what Matilda ‘must have felt’ at certain points, which adds color but occasionally drifts toward historical fiction. I also found myself wishing for a deeper dive into the role of the church and the chroniclers who shaped how we view Matilda today. These are probably criticisms that are expected, though they don’t detract much from the overall achievement.
By the final chapters, Hanley shows us Matilda not as a failed ruler but as the architect of her son’s success. Though she never wore the English crown herself, her determination and political savvy paved the way for Henry II (1154-1189) and the Plantagenet dynasty. It’s a powerful reframing: instead of seeing her story as a tragedy, we see it as a legacy. In the end, Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior is a thoughtful and readable portrait. Hanley reminds us that Matilda was never just a ‘queen who never was.’ She was an empress, a warrior, a political strategist and a woman who challenged the limits of her age.
March 6, 2022
This was well done, fascinating and I thoroughly enjoyed this.
August 29, 2021
Well told tale of a fascinating historical figure.
Daughter of King Henry I of England, wife of Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, mother King Henry IIof England, grandmother of Richard I and John. She was almost, briefly Queen/ruler of England in her own right.
The author sorts through and explains the historical complexities of the time and puts together a compelling an enjoyable narrative, telling it from a gender-conscious perspective.
Daughter of King Henry I of England, wife of Holy Roman Emperor Henry V, mother King Henry IIof England, grandmother of Richard I and John. She was almost, briefly Queen/ruler of England in her own right.
The author sorts through and explains the historical complexities of the time and puts together a compelling an enjoyable narrative, telling it from a gender-conscious perspective.
February 15, 2022
Brilliant. Engaging writing, excellent research and a story that deserves more attention.
June 21, 2025
Matilda occupies a pivotal point in medieval English history: her life separates the Anglo-Norman kings who preceded her from the Angevins and Plantagenets who followed her. For being such a central figure, she hasn’t received nearly the attention that her father and cousin (Henry I and Stephen of Blois) or her son Henry II have. Catherine Hanley’s new biography “Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior” (Yale University Press, 2019) is a work of reclamation history in the best way. It gives Matilda a central place in the tumultuous politics of twelfth-century England while also correcting for the minimization of her influence and the rampant misogyny of contemporary English chroniclers.
Matilda was born in 1102 in the second year of the reign of her father, King Henry I. At the age of eight (!), she was betrothed to Holy Roman Emperor Henry V and sent across the English Channel to a court whose customs and language she did not know and was almost immediately expected to serve as one of her husband’s closest advisors. They finally married four years later once Matilda turned twelve years old, the minimum age set by canon law. When conflict broke out with the Church and Henry V was excommunicate by Pope Paschal II, they take a trip over the Alps to Rome to reconcile matters in 1216, during which Matilda served in several diplomatic roles and was crowned as Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, a title she would use for the rest of her life to confer legitimacy both on her and her son. She was fourteen years old. In 1125, at the age of twenty-three, her husband died and left her no clear instructions about who should follow him as the next Emperor. For a woman of her time, there were only two options: join a nunnery or remarry.
Meanwhile, back in England, Matilda’s younger brother William Aetheling was being groomed to follow his father on the throne. But on a dark November night in 1120 William’s ship (known as the White Ship), along with two of Henry’s illegitimate children and hundreds of other nobility, ran ashore of a rock off the Norman coast. Everyone died save one person, a butcher from Rouen. Henry had scads of other sons, but none of them were legitimate, and therefore couldn’t succeed him on the throne. This threw the line of succession into crisis. The next year, Henry married again (to Adeliza of Louvain) with the hopes of having another son, but in their fourteen-year-long marriage, she bore him no children. The tragedy of the White Ship required yet another tragedy – the death of Matilda’s husband in 1125 - to begin setting dynastic matters straight again.
Soon after Henry V died, Matilda returned to Normandy as a kind of last resort for her father while he continued to hope for another son. Realizing he wasn’t getting any younger (Henry was about 63 at the time), he gathered his barons on Christmas Day 1126, announced Matilda as his heir, and made them all swear their fealty to her. Matilda was eventually married off again, this time to the little-known Count Geoffrey of Anjou. Matilda was 25 years old and Geoffrey 13. After the marriage got off to a rocky start, Matilda bore Geoffrey two sons in quick succession.
When Henry I died on December 1, 1135, Matilda’s cousin Stephen – one of the aristocrats who had sworn allegiance to her – swooped in to consolidate power with breathtaking speed. By December 8 he had reached London, and on December 22 had himself crowned king at Westminster Abbey. An ordinary contestant for the throne may have seen this as a stroke of bad luck, conceded, and immediately recognized the new king – but that’s not what Matilda did. When Matilda’s half-brother Robert of Gloucester led a rebellion against Stephen’s royal forces in 1138, he officially began England’s descent into civil war. Matilda began to build her own army with the help of Robert and her husband, to fight Stephen and earn back what was rightfully hers. Another one of her supporters was Scotland’s King David, Matilda’s uncle, who attacked northern England to divert Stephen’s attention while he was trying to fend off Matilda.
For the next fifteen years, the two cousins would fight a long war of attrition that slowly reduced the country to little more than a pile of tatters. During the war, each party had their ups and downs. Matilda’s forces captured Stephen during the Battle of Lincoln in 1141; Robert of Gloucester was captured later the same year, but Matilda exchanged Stephen for his safe return. After ending in a stalemate, both sides signed the Treaty of Wallingford in the summer of 1153 that allowed Stephen to remain king until his death (he only lived a few more months anyway), after which Matilda’s eldest son Henry will take the crown as Henry II. It must have been bittersweet for Matilda: her son would make the long list of regnal names in English history, but her own inclusion – which had been promised to her by her father for which she fought for nearly two decades – would never become the history it should have. Matilda would live until 1167 – long enough to become the mother-in-law of the only other twelfth-century woman who could be considered her equal, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Hanley tells the story in a way that casts a suspicious eye on the accounts of the contemporary male historians who first told Matilda’s story: Henry of Huntington, William of Malmesbury, Orderic Vitalis, and Robert of Torigni. What emerges is a Matilda more independent and strategic than chroniclers gave her credit for in her own time, even those who politically sided with her. In addition to contemporary sources, Hanley relies heavily on Marjorie Chibnall’s 1991 biography of Matilda.
Had Matilda lived in a time when women were not creatures whose only jobs were to serve as marriage pawns and bearers of children, the last nine centuries may have had a better chance to know her as the person she is portrayed to be in this biography: a brilliant, strong-willed, determined strategist who lived in a misogynistic time that doomed her political ambitions. Nevertheless, she earned a legacy beyond failure: every single British monarch who followed her can trace their family line directly back to her. She was a giant of English history, and in “Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior,” Catherine Hanley finally gives her the treatment and consideration she deserves.
Matilda was born in 1102 in the second year of the reign of her father, King Henry I. At the age of eight (!), she was betrothed to Holy Roman Emperor Henry V and sent across the English Channel to a court whose customs and language she did not know and was almost immediately expected to serve as one of her husband’s closest advisors. They finally married four years later once Matilda turned twelve years old, the minimum age set by canon law. When conflict broke out with the Church and Henry V was excommunicate by Pope Paschal II, they take a trip over the Alps to Rome to reconcile matters in 1216, during which Matilda served in several diplomatic roles and was crowned as Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, a title she would use for the rest of her life to confer legitimacy both on her and her son. She was fourteen years old. In 1125, at the age of twenty-three, her husband died and left her no clear instructions about who should follow him as the next Emperor. For a woman of her time, there were only two options: join a nunnery or remarry.
Meanwhile, back in England, Matilda’s younger brother William Aetheling was being groomed to follow his father on the throne. But on a dark November night in 1120 William’s ship (known as the White Ship), along with two of Henry’s illegitimate children and hundreds of other nobility, ran ashore of a rock off the Norman coast. Everyone died save one person, a butcher from Rouen. Henry had scads of other sons, but none of them were legitimate, and therefore couldn’t succeed him on the throne. This threw the line of succession into crisis. The next year, Henry married again (to Adeliza of Louvain) with the hopes of having another son, but in their fourteen-year-long marriage, she bore him no children. The tragedy of the White Ship required yet another tragedy – the death of Matilda’s husband in 1125 - to begin setting dynastic matters straight again.
Soon after Henry V died, Matilda returned to Normandy as a kind of last resort for her father while he continued to hope for another son. Realizing he wasn’t getting any younger (Henry was about 63 at the time), he gathered his barons on Christmas Day 1126, announced Matilda as his heir, and made them all swear their fealty to her. Matilda was eventually married off again, this time to the little-known Count Geoffrey of Anjou. Matilda was 25 years old and Geoffrey 13. After the marriage got off to a rocky start, Matilda bore Geoffrey two sons in quick succession.
When Henry I died on December 1, 1135, Matilda’s cousin Stephen – one of the aristocrats who had sworn allegiance to her – swooped in to consolidate power with breathtaking speed. By December 8 he had reached London, and on December 22 had himself crowned king at Westminster Abbey. An ordinary contestant for the throne may have seen this as a stroke of bad luck, conceded, and immediately recognized the new king – but that’s not what Matilda did. When Matilda’s half-brother Robert of Gloucester led a rebellion against Stephen’s royal forces in 1138, he officially began England’s descent into civil war. Matilda began to build her own army with the help of Robert and her husband, to fight Stephen and earn back what was rightfully hers. Another one of her supporters was Scotland’s King David, Matilda’s uncle, who attacked northern England to divert Stephen’s attention while he was trying to fend off Matilda.
For the next fifteen years, the two cousins would fight a long war of attrition that slowly reduced the country to little more than a pile of tatters. During the war, each party had their ups and downs. Matilda’s forces captured Stephen during the Battle of Lincoln in 1141; Robert of Gloucester was captured later the same year, but Matilda exchanged Stephen for his safe return. After ending in a stalemate, both sides signed the Treaty of Wallingford in the summer of 1153 that allowed Stephen to remain king until his death (he only lived a few more months anyway), after which Matilda’s eldest son Henry will take the crown as Henry II. It must have been bittersweet for Matilda: her son would make the long list of regnal names in English history, but her own inclusion – which had been promised to her by her father for which she fought for nearly two decades – would never become the history it should have. Matilda would live until 1167 – long enough to become the mother-in-law of the only other twelfth-century woman who could be considered her equal, Eleanor of Aquitaine.
Hanley tells the story in a way that casts a suspicious eye on the accounts of the contemporary male historians who first told Matilda’s story: Henry of Huntington, William of Malmesbury, Orderic Vitalis, and Robert of Torigni. What emerges is a Matilda more independent and strategic than chroniclers gave her credit for in her own time, even those who politically sided with her. In addition to contemporary sources, Hanley relies heavily on Marjorie Chibnall’s 1991 biography of Matilda.
Had Matilda lived in a time when women were not creatures whose only jobs were to serve as marriage pawns and bearers of children, the last nine centuries may have had a better chance to know her as the person she is portrayed to be in this biography: a brilliant, strong-willed, determined strategist who lived in a misogynistic time that doomed her political ambitions. Nevertheless, she earned a legacy beyond failure: every single British monarch who followed her can trace their family line directly back to her. She was a giant of English history, and in “Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior,” Catherine Hanley finally gives her the treatment and consideration she deserves.
August 2, 2022
How exactly did I get to this age without reading a biography of Matilda??
Well… it’s not entirely my fault, because there just haven’t been that many. And oh, couldn’t we talk about the reasons for that. And in fact Catherine Hanley does discuss some of the reasons for the lack of historical focus on this astonishing woman, and puts in the historical context for how she was discussed 900 years ago as well.
Let me say upfront: it may be 900 years ago, but the THEFT of the English crown from Matilda by her cousin Stephen STILL MAKES ME MAD.
Matilda: oldest child of the English king; married at 8 to a foreign emperor; widowed; named her father’s heir (because her brother had drowned); crown STOLEN by Stephen; spends many years fighting Stephen for the right to be monarch of England; eventually manages to have her son named Stephen’s heir, lives to see her son crowned king (although not literally, because being present would have made all the menfolk feel a bit uncomfortable). Matilda was amazing.
Matilda’s epitaph places her in the context of three Henrys: her father (Henry I of England), her first husband (with a complicated set of titles but eventually crowned emperor of ‘the Empire’; his lands included what is today Germany and various other bits), and her oldest son (Henry II of England). This epitaph is not surprising given 12th century attitudes. It’s probably also not the surprising that she has continued to be placed in this context.
Hanley does a really great job of using the existing contemporary documents (all histories written by men, mostly monks, as well as charters and other such legal documents) to give a reasonable suggestion of what Matilda was doing, Matilda was responsible for; reasons for Matilda’s actions and how she worked within, as well as bucking against, 12-century expectations of a royal daughter/wife/mother.
This is why a feminist, and now gender, lens is so important for history. Matilda was often described as ‘haughty’ and other such words… for doing exactly what her father, in particular, was praised for doing. She makes a really nice point of how when Stephen’s queen (…also Matilda, it was as bad as Henry) acted in a masculine way on behalf of Stephen, it was praised; but do so for your OWN benefit, and you’re a ranting virago.
Filling in a gap in my knowledge, this book was priceless (my MA was on this Matilda’s grandmother, also Matilda; this Matilda’s daughter-in-law is Eleanor of Aquitaine). As a thoughtful look at a hugely important part of English medieval history, I think it’s accessible to general readers who are prepared to deal with the Henrys and Matildas.
Well… it’s not entirely my fault, because there just haven’t been that many. And oh, couldn’t we talk about the reasons for that. And in fact Catherine Hanley does discuss some of the reasons for the lack of historical focus on this astonishing woman, and puts in the historical context for how she was discussed 900 years ago as well.
Let me say upfront: it may be 900 years ago, but the THEFT of the English crown from Matilda by her cousin Stephen STILL MAKES ME MAD.
Matilda: oldest child of the English king; married at 8 to a foreign emperor; widowed; named her father’s heir (because her brother had drowned); crown STOLEN by Stephen; spends many years fighting Stephen for the right to be monarch of England; eventually manages to have her son named Stephen’s heir, lives to see her son crowned king (although not literally, because being present would have made all the menfolk feel a bit uncomfortable). Matilda was amazing.
Matilda’s epitaph places her in the context of three Henrys: her father (Henry I of England), her first husband (with a complicated set of titles but eventually crowned emperor of ‘the Empire’; his lands included what is today Germany and various other bits), and her oldest son (Henry II of England). This epitaph is not surprising given 12th century attitudes. It’s probably also not the surprising that she has continued to be placed in this context.
Hanley does a really great job of using the existing contemporary documents (all histories written by men, mostly monks, as well as charters and other such legal documents) to give a reasonable suggestion of what Matilda was doing, Matilda was responsible for; reasons for Matilda’s actions and how she worked within, as well as bucking against, 12-century expectations of a royal daughter/wife/mother.
This is why a feminist, and now gender, lens is so important for history. Matilda was often described as ‘haughty’ and other such words… for doing exactly what her father, in particular, was praised for doing. She makes a really nice point of how when Stephen’s queen (…also Matilda, it was as bad as Henry) acted in a masculine way on behalf of Stephen, it was praised; but do so for your OWN benefit, and you’re a ranting virago.
Filling in a gap in my knowledge, this book was priceless (my MA was on this Matilda’s grandmother, also Matilda; this Matilda’s daughter-in-law is Eleanor of Aquitaine). As a thoughtful look at a hugely important part of English medieval history, I think it’s accessible to general readers who are prepared to deal with the Henrys and Matildas.
July 1, 2019
Empress Matilda is a fascinating historical character. She almost became queen of England in her own right but when her father, Henry I, died, her royal inheritance was stolen from her by Stephen, her first cousin. Matilda decided to fight and although she didn't become queen, her son claimed the throne through her. He proudly called himself Henry FitzEmpress, Henry "Son of the Empress". He is known to history as Henry II.
As stated by author Catherine Hanley, her book is not aimed solely at academic readership. There's never been an accessible bio of Matilda. Marjorie Chibnall's "The Empress Matilda: Queen Consort, Queen Mother and Lady of the English" was, so far, the best and the most detailed account of Matilda's political & private life, but it's a difficult book and requires a lot of beforehand knowledge of the period. Catherine Hanley, on the other hand, wrote a book with flowing narrative that is both easy to understand for a general reader and compulsively readable.
I'm sure that people who would like to gain more insight into Matilda's life would be satisfied after reading Hanley's book (I know I was!). The author restored Matilda to her rightful place in history, debunking all sorts of myths and misconceptions that arouse around Matilda over the centuries.
Most sources about Matilda were written by hostile clerics and monks who believed women should be subservient to men. Many historians assumed that Matilda truly was haughty and overbearing, and repeated these characteristics after the empress's first medieval biographers. Matilda's biographers in 1939 and 2017 even claimed that she was menopausal and suffered from mood swings because they trusted too much in biased clerical sources.
Catherine Hanley challenged such views in her sympathetic biography of Matilda, arguing that Matilda was condemned by her male contemporaries because she was a woman who reached for the crown. Had she been a man, nobody would have had any doubts that her claim to the throne was indisputable and valid.
I hope that the author will write more about medieval women in the future, because her style and approach are wonderful. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Catherine Hanley.
As stated by author Catherine Hanley, her book is not aimed solely at academic readership. There's never been an accessible bio of Matilda. Marjorie Chibnall's "The Empress Matilda: Queen Consort, Queen Mother and Lady of the English" was, so far, the best and the most detailed account of Matilda's political & private life, but it's a difficult book and requires a lot of beforehand knowledge of the period. Catherine Hanley, on the other hand, wrote a book with flowing narrative that is both easy to understand for a general reader and compulsively readable.
I'm sure that people who would like to gain more insight into Matilda's life would be satisfied after reading Hanley's book (I know I was!). The author restored Matilda to her rightful place in history, debunking all sorts of myths and misconceptions that arouse around Matilda over the centuries.
Most sources about Matilda were written by hostile clerics and monks who believed women should be subservient to men. Many historians assumed that Matilda truly was haughty and overbearing, and repeated these characteristics after the empress's first medieval biographers. Matilda's biographers in 1939 and 2017 even claimed that she was menopausal and suffered from mood swings because they trusted too much in biased clerical sources.
Catherine Hanley challenged such views in her sympathetic biography of Matilda, arguing that Matilda was condemned by her male contemporaries because she was a woman who reached for the crown. Had she been a man, nobody would have had any doubts that her claim to the throne was indisputable and valid.
I hope that the author will write more about medieval women in the future, because her style and approach are wonderful. I'm looking forward to reading more books by Catherine Hanley.
August 16, 2024
Just finished:
"Matilda: Empress, Queen, and Warrior"
By: Catherine Hanley
New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2019.
Takes a fresh look at Matilda and her pursuit of the English crown that was rightfully her's. Stephenbeat her to the punch because he learned of Henry I's death before Matilda. At one point, Matilda's forces captured Stephen in battle. However, efforts from Stephen's wife (also named Matilda), fought for him and he was released in a prisoner exchange. Eventually Matilda's son, Henry would ultimately succeed Stephen as King of England. Matilda fought for her right until she realized she would never have the crown. The author also argues that while Matilda made mistakes in her effort to gain the throne, she would have failed regardless because she was a woman in the 1100s. That said, her example blazed a path for other women.
"Matilda: Empress, Queen, and Warrior"
By: Catherine Hanley
New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2019.
Takes a fresh look at Matilda and her pursuit of the English crown that was rightfully her's. Stephenbeat her to the punch because he learned of Henry I's death before Matilda. At one point, Matilda's forces captured Stephen in battle. However, efforts from Stephen's wife (also named Matilda), fought for him and he was released in a prisoner exchange. Eventually Matilda's son, Henry would ultimately succeed Stephen as King of England. Matilda fought for her right until she realized she would never have the crown. The author also argues that while Matilda made mistakes in her effort to gain the throne, she would have failed regardless because she was a woman in the 1100s. That said, her example blazed a path for other women.
October 12, 2025
A deeply researched portrayal that actually treats Matilda like a person, not a historical inconvenience
May 19, 2020
Seemingly well-researched. I would have liked some endnotes or a bibliography, but I guess the publisher saw the book as credible without them. One passage on the disaster on Winchester really bothered me though, describing with no chronicler reference or reasoning that Matilda was responsible for not retreating because she did not want to see all she had won go away. Can historians who don't have much documentary evidence for their subject's personality refrain from trying to psychoanlayze or intuit their motives when we don't these figures as people at all.
July 31, 2024
2024 52 Book Challenge - 39) Non Fiction Recommended By A Friend
I really enjoyed this book. I've read a few books about Matilda now, and I find her such an interesting person in history. This book was one of the better ones at keeping the information both informative and engaging, and it was a pretty decent read.
I really enjoyed this book. I've read a few books about Matilda now, and I find her such an interesting person in history. This book was one of the better ones at keeping the information both informative and engaging, and it was a pretty decent read.
November 1, 2023
Excellent biography of a fascinating woman - thorough, engaging, and truly brings its subject to life.
September 17, 2021
A wonderful history book, throwing light on a fascinating individual who helped shape a relatively obscure period of English history. Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in English history, as I would say at least passing familiarity with the chronology would help (although Hanley does provide sone useful supporting material for the beginner).
May 7, 2025
And the Empress Matilda dared to ask the Almighty then - could a woman be King in England? And he did turn to his Angels and said in a voice that only they could hear. “Well, obviously the answer is going to be ‘not yet, dear’, but man is it going to be fun to see her try.”
October 22, 2023
3,5 Mais pela narradora, porque o livro está mais para 4 estrelas
October 15, 2023
Hanley shows her truly thorough research capabilities as well as her quick-witted and amusing writing style — a captivating read which I couldn't put down after getting through the first chapters.
Matilda is such a focal point for medieval queenship in England, its limits and its possibilities and this is all portrayed really well in this book. More theoretical approaches to things not only concerning queenship but even clergical questions or explanations for medieval warfare are worked in seamlessly and don't feel out of place in the narrative.
The author is quick to point out the obvious misogyny in the chronicles of Matilda's contemporaries and she picks these apart meticulously while also always providing appropriate comparisons to make her points.
My only criticism is that while Hanley manages to recognize Matilda's faults (what she could've done better, where she made the wrong decisions — all really interesting discussions!) in her conclusion, throughout the book her praise of Matilda is sometimes too high for me. There is a lot of "Matilda could've been involved in this [great idea/scheme/gift/etc.]" with too little evidence for me.
This is a common theme in queenship history and I don't fault Hanley for this at all, as I'm sure my papers & discussions on queenship can feel the same way. We just want these women and their brave and powerful to finally be recognized and talked about. Of course on a greater scale, women's history in general suffers from a lack of sources but Hanley used the ones she had available in such a detailed and impressive way that I can allow her some hopeful imagination for all the ways Matilda might have acted, which wasn't recorded.
Overall, a great reading experience that is so wonderfully detailed and also wonderfully written, so full of emotions, to the point that it had me laughing out and close to tears. Queenship history just gets me in the feels like that, you know?
Matilda is such a focal point for medieval queenship in England, its limits and its possibilities and this is all portrayed really well in this book. More theoretical approaches to things not only concerning queenship but even clergical questions or explanations for medieval warfare are worked in seamlessly and don't feel out of place in the narrative.
The author is quick to point out the obvious misogyny in the chronicles of Matilda's contemporaries and she picks these apart meticulously while also always providing appropriate comparisons to make her points.
My only criticism is that while Hanley manages to recognize Matilda's faults (what she could've done better, where she made the wrong decisions — all really interesting discussions!) in her conclusion, throughout the book her praise of Matilda is sometimes too high for me. There is a lot of "Matilda could've been involved in this [great idea/scheme/gift/etc.]" with too little evidence for me.
This is a common theme in queenship history and I don't fault Hanley for this at all, as I'm sure my papers & discussions on queenship can feel the same way. We just want these women and their brave and powerful to finally be recognized and talked about. Of course on a greater scale, women's history in general suffers from a lack of sources but Hanley used the ones she had available in such a detailed and impressive way that I can allow her some hopeful imagination for all the ways Matilda might have acted, which wasn't recorded.
Overall, a great reading experience that is so wonderfully detailed and also wonderfully written, so full of emotions, to the point that it had me laughing out and close to tears. Queenship history just gets me in the feels like that, you know?
May 18, 2020
Y'all should see my notes and reactions written in the margins. Since ya cain't, I shall summarize: my great grandmother Matilda did her damnedest to succeed, in her own right and for her family, in a world that treated her as less than, incapable, and susceptible to influences that no one ever dreamed of heaping upon a man.
In short: she fought to live while saddled 24-7 with nonsensical double standards in a time when surviving was already a ceaseless struggle.
This double standard and the constant struggle are still alive and thriving today. Can we do better? Will we? Will I?
I try. As did my mother during her too-short time in this life. Maybe some of our strength came down through the ages from Matilda.
The author has done a bang up job in presenting and discussing Matilda's life, that of her family, her enemies and allies, motivations and calculations, and all while simultaneously engaging in interpretation through a 21st century prism.
As is probably obvious, this book and her story have me feeling both angry at how much things have remained unchanged and reveling in that inherited determination to pulverize into posterity those very same obstacles.
Thank you, Matilda! And thank you author for sharing such a treasure as this.
In short: she fought to live while saddled 24-7 with nonsensical double standards in a time when surviving was already a ceaseless struggle.
This double standard and the constant struggle are still alive and thriving today. Can we do better? Will we? Will I?
I try. As did my mother during her too-short time in this life. Maybe some of our strength came down through the ages from Matilda.
The author has done a bang up job in presenting and discussing Matilda's life, that of her family, her enemies and allies, motivations and calculations, and all while simultaneously engaging in interpretation through a 21st century prism.
As is probably obvious, this book and her story have me feeling both angry at how much things have remained unchanged and reveling in that inherited determination to pulverize into posterity those very same obstacles.
Thank you, Matilda! And thank you author for sharing such a treasure as this.
March 13, 2021
I found this book interesting. The author did a good job of making sense of all of the narratives of historical events of this age. There were so many people with the same names that this really could have been a lot harder to understand. If you are interested in this kind of thing it would be easier to understand if you read something about Eleanor of Aquitaine first. The only complaint that I had about this book was how the author got on the feminist soap box just a little too often. It's true that at this point in history women were processions more than people, and it is important for the reader to take this fact into the book to better understand how Matilda was not appreciated or accepted as a Queen. This treatment of women is mentioned many times throughout the book.
January 10, 2021
Authoritative and informative. Hanley does justice to the life of Matilda, the Warrior-Queen who set the stage for the Plantagenet Dynasty. The earliest portions of Matilda's life are painstakingly detailed, and stuffed with information that will be difficult for the typical reader to find elsewhere. Latter portions of her life are a bit repetitive (reasonable, given the limited records of the era), although it is a holistic account of Matilda's experience in The Anarchy. Well researched.
January 3, 2024
Unfortunately severely biased research. Riddled with suppositions and assertions about Matilda’s opinions, feelings, and character without proper grounding. Hedging and qualifications abound—I could go without the words “undoubtedly”, “ostensibly”, “doubtless”, “no doubt”, and “might have been” for the rest of my days. Hanley should have described Matilda’s story as previously documented instead of building a fantasy of how she would have liked Matilda to be.
November 7, 2019
Far too much "let us suppose" episodes. They didn't change the history, but if the information is not there, it's not there.
October 26, 2023
hanley and the narrator (jennifer m. dixon) do a great job both establishing the rigor of the research involved in this text and building a cogent and compelling narrative about empress matilda. a star knocked off for the conclusion which felt like it diluted a lot of the work done (though may have been required by her publisher? to connect dots for a less academic audience) and for the bizarre question of whether not matilda was as thoughtful or interrogative of her gender politic as the narrative suggests. dude. she clearly was. she lived in a society, lmao.
August 14, 2025
I think I did enjoy this book. It is well research and written very well. I can’t really find any criticism for the book itself, I just could not gel with it. I found myself bored at times and my mind wondering. I did really have to force myself to finish this one. Again I am unsure if this is because of the book itself, the time period it is set it (slightly earlier than my usual preference) or just my head space at the time.
I would recommend this for anyone who likes this period of history or anyone trying to find interesting historical female figures as Matilda is certainly that!!
I would recommend this for anyone who likes this period of history or anyone trying to find interesting historical female figures as Matilda is certainly that!!
April 22, 2025
I'm not exactly sure where I land on raiding. it's betweeen a 3 and 4. I really enjoyed the information. I also wonder if the audiobook hindered my enjoyment of this type of nonfiction more in-depth thoughts coming
July 27, 2025
One of my favorite genres is history, and this book did not disappoint.
I, absolutely loved learning about Matilda, I had the pleasure of learning about her family lineage in a previous book and I was pleasantly surprised.
I, absolutely loved learning about Matilda, I had the pleasure of learning about her family lineage in a previous book and I was pleasantly surprised.
March 28, 2021
Excellent book - this has inspired a new module I will be teaching my secondary school students next year!
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