A queen wearing armour and holding a sword is fighting helmeted men carrying shields
By Catherine Hanley
The Empress Matilda, daughter of Henry I of England and his chosen heir to the throne, seemed ideally qualified to succeed him.
When Henry I died in 1135, he left the English crown to his eldest legitimate child: an intelligent, well-educated, multilingual adult who had years of international political and governmental experience. It should have been the easiest succession imaginable, but it wasn’t – because Henry’s heir was not a son but his daughter, Empress Matilda.
Matilda led a remarkable and well-travelled life even by the standards of 12th-century royalty. Shipped overseas to marry the Emperor when she was just eight years old, she adapted to the unfamiliar environment, learned several languages, absorbed the politics of the Empire, and was crowned twice. By the time she was 16 she was so capable that…
View original post 929 more words
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
Recent Comments