While the king of the Belgians descends in a straight line male line from a German dynasty, his ancestry includes many rulers who ruled the territory of Belgium until 1831.
Through his grandmother, Queen Astrid, the King is a descendant of William I, King of the Netherlands, who was sovereign of Belgium from 1815 to 1830, and Josephine de Beauharnais, wife of Emperor Napoleon I, who ruled the Belgian lands in the early 19th century.
The king's ancestors also include representatives of the famous Habsburg dynasty, such as Empress Maria Theresa (18th century) and Emperor Charles V, born in Ghent in 1500. The latter was the grandson of Mary of Burgundy (born in Brussels in 1457, died in Bruges in 1482 ), heiress of the Duchy of Burgundy, the Duchy of Brabant and Limburg, and the countries of Flanders, Hainaut and Namur. Thanks to their connections with the Dukes of Burgundy, all medieval dynasties made enormous contributions to the history of Belgium and to the ancestry of the king of the Belgians.
In 1795 he was appointed by the Russian Tsar as colonel of the Izmailovsky regiment. imperial guard. Seven years later he became a general in the Russian army. The emperor wanted to make him his adjutant. Leopold refused. He would then take part in the campaign against Napoleon.
In 1815, Leopold received British citizenship, was made a field marshal, and married Princess Charlotte, heir to the British throne. A year later, she gives birth to a stillborn child and dies herself.
On July 21, 1831, he took the oath as the first King of the Belgians and dedicated most his reign strengthened the young state.
Who represents the Belgian royal family today?
King Philip
His Majesty King Philippe was born in Brussels on April 15, 1960. He is the eldest son of King Albert II and Queen Paola and the grandson of King Leopold III and Queen Astrid.
The King was educated bilingually (Dutch and French) in Belgian public primary and secondary schools and later at the Belgian Royal Military Academy. Inspired by a passion for flying and space adventures Since childhood, he chose to join the Air Force, where he qualified as a fighter pilot. Having completed your military training, he left Belgium to continue his studies abroad. After one semester at Trinity College, Oxford (United Kingdom), he spent two years at Stanford University in the USA, from which he graduated with a Master's degree in Political Science.
Returning to Belgium in 1985, he began to become acquainted with political, social and economic life Belgium. This gave him a deep understanding of the country and its workings.
The death of King Baudouin in 1993 marked a turning point in the prince's life. After the accession of his father, King Albert II, to the throne, Philip became heir to the throne at the age of 33.
Prince Philip took the Honorary post of Chairman of the Belgian agency foreign trade. In this capacity, he led 85 economic missions abroad over the next 20 years. He built bridges between Belgian and foreign companies, as well as between Belgian companies.
Another of Prince Philip's main concerns is the sustainable development of Belgium. From 1993 to 2013 he was honorary chairman Federal Council By sustainable development which brings together economic, social, environmental and scientific institutions from across the country to make recommendations to the federal government.
Following the abdication of King Albert's father, Prince Philippe took the oath of office before the united houses of parliament on 21 July 2013 and became the seventh King of the Belgians.
In 1999, He married Mathilde d'Udekem d'Acoz. King Philip and Queen Matilda combine family life with ceremonial and official duties. They personally oversee the upbringing of their four children, Elisabeth, Gabrielle, Emmanuelle and Eleanor. Children are given a multilingual education and the opportunity to attend school in Holland.
In his free time, The King and Queen enjoy reading and playing sports.
Queen Matilda
Her Majesty the Queen was born in Uccle on January 20, 1973. She is the daughter of Count and Countess Patrick d'Udekem d'Acoz.
She married Prince Philip on 4 December 1999 and they had four children: a daughter Elisabeth (2001), now Duchess of Brabant, two sons Gabriel (2003) and Emmanuel (2005) and another daughter Eleanor (2008). As a mother of four, the Queen gives great importance to your family.
The Queen assists the King in carrying out his functions as head of state. These include numerous visits to institutions, contacts with the population, ceremonies in Belgium and abroad, state visits, promoting the image of Belgium abroad, with representatives various groups communities and countless trips across the country.
In addition to her activities in the King's company, the Queen also devotes time to issues that are close to her heart. She regularly visits social institutions and medical centers. These contacts help her stay in touch with people and their needs and wants. The Queen attaches great importance to close contact with the population.
The Queen also deals with a number of social issues, including education, the status of women in society and literacy.
The Queen is Honorary President of the Missing and Sexually Exploited Children Trust. The welfare of children is for her fundamental principle and she is dedicated to fighting child abduction and all forms of sexual abuse.
The Queen has a wide interest in art and dance. She loves modern as well classical music and plays the piano. She also loves literature. She is an avid cyclist, tennis player and swimmer, and enjoys nature and outdoor activities.
Elisabeth, Princess of Belgium, Duchess of Brabant, was born in Anderlecht on October 25, 2001.
As the first born child of the King and Queen, Princess Elizabeth is first in the line of succession to the throne. When her father ascended the throne on July 21, 2013, Elizabeth became Duchess of Brabant.
Elisabeth attends secondary school in Brussels. She also speaks French and English language and studies German.
On 7 September 2011, Elizabeth officially opened the new Princess Elisabeth Children's Hospital, part of the Ghent University Hospital. She also gave her name to an Antarctic research station.
Elisabeth lives with her parents, her brothers Gabriel and Emmanuel and her sister Eleanor at the Royal Palace of Laeken.
Elizabeth loves sports. She plays tennis, skiing and scuba diving. She also loves hiking, activities in contact with nature.
She took piano lessons for several years. Her musical interests include Various types music. She loves to cook and is always looking for new recipes. Friendship is very important to her. She spends a lot of time with her friends. Reading continues to be a pleasure for her, as it is an important source of discovery and inspiration.
She helps children with learning difficulties, the elderly and the homeless.
Gabriel, Prince of Belgium, was born in Anderlecht on August 20, 2003. Prince Gabriel is the second child of Their Majesties the King and Queen.
The Prince attends a Dutch language school high school in Brussels. French and English are also part of his education.
Prince Gabriel lives with his parents, sisters Elisabeth and Eleanor and brother Emmanuel at the Royal Palace of Laeken.
Prince Gabriel plays the piano. Engaged in the following types Sports: Football, Cycling, Tennis, Swimming, Skiing, Sailing. He is also a member of the hockey club.
Emmanuel, Prince of Belgium, was born in Anderlecht on 4 October 2005, the third child of Their Majesties the King and Queen.
Prince Emmanuel visits a Dutch language school primary school in Leuven. French and English are also part of his education.
Prince Emmanuel lives with his parents, sisters Elisabeth and Eleanor and brother Gabriel at the Royal Palace of Laeken.
Prince Emmanuel loves nature. He enjoys cycling, swimming, skiing and sailing. He also plays the flute.
Eleanor, Princess of Belgium, was born in Anderlecht on 16 April 2008, the fourth child of Their Majesties the King and Queen.
Princess Eleanor attends a Dutch language primary school in Brussels, but French and English are also part of her education.
Princess Eleanor lives with her parents, sister Elisabeth and two brothers Gabriel and Emmanuel at the Royal Palace of Laeken.
Princess Eleanor plays the violin and loves to read. She is very creative person and loves to draw. He enjoys cycling, swimming, skiing and sailing.
King Philippe of Belgium and his wife Mathilde at a state banquet at the residence of the Governor General of Canada in Ottawa, March 12, 2018Five days of a busy program, more than two hundred delegates, including key Belgian ministers, academics and businessmen, and big plans for a series of bilateral agreements - the first state visit of Belgian monarchs in 40 years is in full swing in Canada. The trip of Philippe and Mathilde was supposed to highlight the importance of relations between the two countries, however, despite the obvious enthusiasm of the Belgian delegation, the Canadians, alas, were unable to show due respect to the guests.
We tell you what disappointments Their Majesties had to face on the other side of the Atlantic.
German flag instead of Belgian
Philippe, Mathilde and the rest of the Belgian delegation arrived in Ottawa on March 12, where a busy program awaited them from the very morning. IN last time King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola came here for a visit of this level in 1977. At the same time, the Belgian monarchs had to take part in a traditional ceremony that has been held here since 1906 - to plant a tree in the garden of the Governor General of Canada (formally the representative of the authority of Her Majesty Elizabeth II). Now about 130 maples and oaks grow on the territory of the residence, which symbolizes the unity of nations and peoples friendly to Canada.
Of course, the current rulers of Belgium, Philippe and Mathilde, also had to plant their own tree in the residence of Julie Payette (she has held the position of Governor General since last summer). Especially for this, before the ceremony itself, the organizers of the event decided to “highlight” the tree planted by King Baudouin by tying two crossed miniature flags of Canada and Belgium to it.
But the Belgian flag strangely turned out to be not Belgian at all... but German.
The organizers’ mistake is not difficult to explain: both flags differ from each other only in the location of the yellow, red and black stripes. In the German tricolor they are located horizontally, while in the Belgian they are vertical.
Fortunately, the contractors were able to notice and correct this misunderstanding before Philip and Matilda arrived on site. However, the news reached all local media - and it is naive to believe that this embarrassment never reached the ears of the monarchs.
However, Their Majesties maintained their dignity throughout the next day and later respectfully attended the ceremony marking the centenary of the end of the First World War. During those years, the Canadian army lost about a quarter of its soldiers liberating Belgium.
“We owe our freedom to your soldiers who came to our aid a hundred years ago,” said the king. “We Belgians will never forget this.”
"Demarche" by Justin Trudeau
However, the hiccup with the flags was not the only disappointment of Philip and Matilda during their visit. Over the next two days, the royal couple, as well as the ministers, businessmen and scientists who arrived with them, attended various forums, ceremonies, exhibitions and meetings with Canadian politicians and public figures, among which, however, the most important thing was not - Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
To be fair, Trudeau was not obliged to meet with the Belgians: according to protocol, Philip and Mathilde were invited to Canada not by the government, but by the representative of the Queen of Great Britain, Julie Payette (as you know, Elizabeth is formally the head of Canada). And yet, as reported publication The Star source from the highest diplomatic circles, the Belgian delegation was serious about meeting with the prime minister, and is now “obviously” deeply disappointed.
Justin Trudeau's refusal to meet with representatives of the Belgian authorities is unprecedented in all respects.
So, in 1977, during the visit of King Baudouin and Queen Fabiola, they were personally met by the then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Justin's father. In 2013, Prime Minister Stephen Harper welcomed Willem-Alexander and his wife Maxima (monarchs of the Netherlands), and Justin Trudeau himself personally shook hands with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2016, and in 2017 with King Abdullah II of Jordan.
Some members of the government have already openly accused their prime minister of lack of manners and “wrong prioritization.” The whole point is that in currently Justin Trudeau is meeting with the steel industry in full force to curb panic over Donald Trump's abrupt decision to impose tariffs on US steel and aluminum imports. However, some Internet users support the head of government, believing that he is doing the right thing by paying attention to workers instead of “eating caviar and drinking champagne” with a foreign king.
Trudeau himself delegated several government ministers, including the Minister of Trade, to meetings with the Belgians. Bilateral trade between Canada and Belgium has traditionally occupied an important place in the economies of the two countries (last year the turnover was $6.5 billion). In fact, as the Belgian media report, it was the strengthening of economic relations that became main goal visit of Philippe, Mathilde and other representatives of Belgium to Canada.
Severe weather conditions
In the homeland of Philip and Matilda, the temperature hardly ever drops to zero, so on the other side of the Atlantic, Their Majesties clearly had to get used to the local harsh spring - to the “minus” outside and relatively high humidity.
However, the weather was kind to the guests, but only at first: on the second day of the visit, the monarchs were caught in a severe snowstorm at the Ottawa airport, for which, apparently, the guests were not prepared. Her Majesty Matilda had to make her way through the snow to the plane in a light coat with an open neck, without gloves and in suede pumps. Despite the fact that the queen definitely had a sheepskin coat, gloves and boots in her wardrobe, on the day when the lady needed warm clothes the most, her stylists chose a completely inappropriate outfit for her.
Philip and Matilda will stay in Canada until Saturday. Ahead of royal couple two more stops - in Toronto and Montreal.
Photo: Getty Images, East News, Legion-Media, Rex
This alliance turned out to be politically very advantageous, since he counted on German help in containing French aggression in Normandy. Matilda's marriage turned out to be fruitless: their only child died in infancy. However, there is a legend that in fact this child did not die, but was given to foster parents and later became known as Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Matilda's military failures turned away many of her supporters among the barons, and her revived vicious practice of bishops' investiture also turned away the church. On December 7, 1141, at a synod in Westminster, he was again recognized as King of England. September 26, 1142 royal troops broke into Oxford and besieged the castle where the empress was. Three months later, with food running low and no help coming from her supporters in the western counties, Matilda made a daring escape from the fortress: winter night Dressed in white clothes, she descended from the castle wall and fled along the ice-covered Thames to Wallingford, which was under the control of her friend Brian Fitz-Count.
The number of Matilda's supporters continued to decline steadily. On October 31, 1147, Robert of Gloucester died. In 1148, Matilda left for, which by that time her husband had taken possession of. The Empress settled in Rouen, where she kept her own court. She no longer took direct part in the struggle for the English throne. In 1153, broken by a long civil war and the death of his only son Eustathius, he recognized Matilda's son as heir to the English throne. After her son's accession to England, Matilda remained to live in Rouen, but continued to interfere in conflicts with her younger brothers.
On September 10, 1167, Matilda died and was buried in Bec Abbey; in 1847, her remains were transferred to Rouen Cathedral.
Matilda of England called herself Empress and Queen of England, although she was neither one nor the other. She spent half her life in the war and understood military affairs as well as any man, but she was left with nothing. All her life she was surrounded by Henrys, but the cause of her troubles was her namesake. About the woman who started the first civil war in British history.
Family matters
Matilda was born into, without a doubt, a “friendly” family. It just so happened that William's heirs the Conquerors did nothing but share what their father and grandfather had conquered, so Matilda just carried on family tradition. However, the main culprit of all these political squabbles was none other than Wilhelm himself.
In short, the situation was like this: after the death of the Conqueror in 1087, his possessions were divided into two parts. William had a very bad relationship with his eldest son Robert, and wanted to exclude him from among his heirs altogether, but the Norman feudal lords stood up as a wall and did not allow this to happen. As a result, Robert received Normandy, but the second son of William the Conqueror, also William, became king of England. To say that Robert was offended is an understatement.
However, it was the angry Duke who let off all his warlike steam in the Crusade, which he set out on ten years after his father’s death. Robert never achieved his goal in England, and bad relationship and his brother did not prevent him from borrowing money from him as collateral for Normandy.
After the Duke departed for the Holy Land, William sighed calmly, but not for long. The king, nicknamed Red, died under very strange circumstances in the New Forest while hunting. By official version, the knight Walter Tyrrell accompanying him, aiming at a deer, hit William with an arrow.
Henry I - Matilda's father
But there are several important issues, which remained unanswered. Why did Tyrrell, who was aiming for a deer, shoot two arrows into his king at once? Why, instead of helping his dying sovereign, Tyrrell rushed towards the English Channel and within three weeks found himself in France? Why younger brother William the Red Henry, not knowing anything about what happened to his brother, took the court back to London, and the next day declared himself king? Finally, why did Heinrich, who two weeks later received the remains of his brother, heavily gnawed by wolves, not begin to conduct any investigation? It was around 1100.
Robert of Normandy, having learned about the death of William, rushed back from the Holy Land, hoping to return the English crown, but was very quickly defeated by his brother Henry and put into custody. He spent the rest of his days in prison, and Henry, nicknamed Beauclerc for his education (he apparently had beautiful handwriting), began to rule England, and reigned for almost 35 years. At this time, the country forgot about the wars for the throne, but they returned after the death of the king.
The fact is that Henry's only son, Wilhelm Adelin, died in a shipwreck in the waters of the English Channel. After this, the king was left with only two options for choosing heirs. He could have passed the throne to his daughter Matilda or his nephew Stephen of Blois. Henry chose his daughter and even forced the English feudal lords to swear allegiance to her. But it was easier said than done.
Small coin
No matter how sad it may sound in the 21st century, but in the Middle Ages, princesses were, for the most part, bargaining chips in big politics. Matilda's father found the match brilliant in every sense.
She was married to the German Emperor Henry V. From a political point of view, the choice was correct, and this union soon justified itself, but of course, no one asked Maud’s consent (as the princess was called by her father and uncle, King David I of Scotland).
Her wedding took place in 1114. Matilda was 12, her husband 31. At this point she left England and returned to it only 11 years later. The marriage with Henry was neither unhappy nor happy. Matilda failed to bear children to the emperor, so after his death, she was sent to her father without any rights to the possessions of her late husband. Nevertheless, Maud began to call herself empress. It was arrogance in its purest form.
The fact is that no one crowned her with this title, although she later convinced the English nobility that the Pope had performed this rite on her. And in general, the real problems awaited Matilda not in the empire, but in London.
Firstly, it turned out that the English and Norman feudal lords were not eager to see a woman on the throne. Secondly, Matilda simply had no supporters among influential nobles or clergy. Thirdly, she herself greatly ruined her reputation with her bad character.
So, the arrogant princess quarreled with William of Ypres and Galeran de Beaumont, which would come back to haunt her later. Finally, there was a fourth difficulty. Heinrich decided to remarry his daughter, but found her a less successful husband. Matilda became the wife of Geoffrey of Anjou, nicknamed Plantagenet.
Henry V - Matilda's husband
England sought an alliance with the House of Angevin, but the Norman barons were not happy with this, because they long years waged war with the Angevins. In 1127, Matilda, who had stayed in England for only a short time, was sent to a new husband. The picture was repeated exactly the opposite. Maude was 25, her husband was 13. And although Matilda would later give birth to Geoffroy three sons, at first their relationship did not work out. Young Geoffroy sent his wife to Normandy out of sight.
War of the Two Matildas
Henry I died in 1135 while visiting Matilda. There he literally nursed his grandson, also Henry. This boy will soon go down in history under the name of Henry Plantagenet, but this is not about him now. Matilda began to get ready to go to London for the coronation, but Stephen of Blois beat her to it.
While the Empress was summoning her retinue and fitting out the ship, her cousin arrived in London, made an agreement with the clergy and nobility, and was crowned. Among other things, Matilda's brother Robert of Gloucester, Henry's bastard, who could not have rights to the throne, but was the most influential and authoritative knight of England, took his side.
Stefan found it perfect occasion to renounce the oath he had once given to his cousin. He declared Matilda illegitimate, citing the fact that her mother, before her marriage to Henry, lived briefly in a monastery and managed to take a vow of celibacy. Whether such a thing actually happened is no longer important, but such a story was quite suitable for Stefan as an excuse. Matilda was left with nothing, but did not give up.
First of all, she sued her cousin. The Empress demanded that the proceedings be conducted personally by the Pope. The pope saw him through, but the Vatican came to the conclusion that Stephen ruled England legally, and then Matilda took decisive action, starting a war against her cousin. Fortunately, Geoffrey’s husband had already grown up and matured, and most importantly, he had long dreamed of snatching a piece of Normandy for his own benefit.
Civil War lasted 20 years. Matilda personally commanded one of the Angevin armies. She captured the fortresses of Se and Domfront, led her army out of encirclement at the Tapa marshes, was defeated by William of Ypres and almost captured, united with her husband’s army and again recaptured the lost castles. Stephen, apparently believing that Matilda was not dangerous, recalled Ypres to England. The fact is that by that time some of the feudal lords had managed to rebel against him. Maud took advantage of this. Leaving her husband to deal with Normandy, she set off with the army across the English Channel. And then she began to frankly get lucky.
Stefan finally quarreled with the barons and they, one after another, began to go over to Matilda’s side. Brother-bastrad Robert also defected, and with him the Bishop of Winchester. It was very important point, for this rank was held by Stephen's brother Henry. In the latter stages of the war, two more important events occurred.
At first, Matilda was supported by her uncle David of Scotland, who had previously refused to help his niece three times. He invaded England from the north and captured York. Apparently, since the time of David’s invasion, a law has been in force in this city, according to which any city dweller can kill a Scot with impunity if he is armed with a bow and arrow.
And then there was February 2 and the Battle of Lincoln, where Matilda, having shown military talent, defeated Stefan and captured him. The cousin was thrown into Bristol Castle and kept there chained, but then things began to go wrong for the king.
More precisely, he was lucky much earlier in 1125, when he married a virtuous and courageous woman, who was also named Matilda. She did not have magnificent titles, she was only the Countess of Boulogne, and she was a queen only by her husband. And Matilda did not abandon this husband in trouble; she gathered an army from the remnants of people loyal to Stephen and marched on London in a desperate attempt to regain what was lost.
The other Matilda, meanwhile, solemnly entered the capital, where Stephen's brother Henry declared her queen. But the matter again did not come to the coronation. Matilda really wanted to throw a grand ceremony and desperately needed money. But there was no money. Furthermore, there was not even an opportunity to get them. Almost all the lands were distributed to feudal lords who supported the queen.
And then Matilda decided to impose tribute on the Londoners, at the same time depriving them of part of their privileges. The answer was a swift and merciless rebellion, which, and this is quite rare case, ended in success.
The fact is that Robert Gloucester was besieging some castle at that moment, and while Matilda was gathering troops celebrating her success, her namesake approached the walls of London. The battle of the two Matildas was won by the one who was Stefan's wife.
Matilda, who was Stefan's cousin, had to drop everything and run away. And since she soon lost two more battles, her authority fell. And then the loyal English feudal lords, one after another, began to go over to the side of that Matilda, who was now winning. Uncle David also acted wisely and returned to Scotland.
Only Robert Gloucester remained on Maude's side. However, his army, going to help his sister, was intercepted and defeated. The bastard was captured. Matilda was forced to exchange her brother for Stefan. At the last stage of the war, Matilda was driven back to the sea, taking away one castle after another. She managed to gain a foothold in Oxford and stay there for almost six months, but then famine began.
The soldiers were ready to tolerate him, but Maude was not. She secretly fled Oxford, apparently hoping that her absence would not be noticed. But he was noticed within a few hours, after which Baron de Brazon, who had been so devoted to her, clear conscience surrendered the castle and even personally sent in pursuit of the fugitive.
The final
Matilda remained queen for eight months. From April to December 1141. And although the end date of the war is 1154, but from 1147 fighting were no longer carried out. Matilda sat in Normandy and looked with longing at lost England on the other side of the English Channel. Stephen ruled London peacefully, hoping that Matilda would not return.
However, the king’s eldest son Eustachius died unexpectedly in 1153, leaving open question about succession to the throne. Stefan was forced to make peace with Matilda. His conditions were simple. Stephen reigns until his death, and his son Maud Henry is declared his heir.
And so it turned out that Maud’s war was not entirely in vain. True, her relationship with her son then completely deteriorated. Henry did not take his mother to the coronation, and when she came to him in England, he almost by force sent her back to Rouen. Apparently, Plantagenet was afraid that his mother would interfere in state affairs.
Matilda died in 1167, already an old woman by medieval standards. 65 years for the 12th century is real longevity. She was buried in the Benedictine Abbey of Bec near Rouen. Henry was late for the funeral.
The tombstone inscription on the slab reads: “Here lies the daughter, wife and mother of Henry. Great by birth, even more by marriage, but most of all by motherhood.”
Matilda and her brother William were the only children of King Henry I of England and his first wife Matilda of Scotland. They were direct descendants of the Anglo-Saxon royal dynasty and William the Conqueror. When Matilda was only seven years old, her father arranged a marriage with Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor. Two years later, the girl was sent to be raised at the groom’s court, and already in 1114, a magnificent wedding of 12-year-old Matilda and 30-year-old Henry took place in Worms ( exact date The birth of the emperor has not been established). With this marriage, Matilda's father strengthened his position in the confrontation with French king, later the Anglo-German alliance would help stop French aggression in Normandy. The union of Matilda and Henry was childless, although there is speculation that she did give birth to an heir, who died in infancy. And according to one legend, the child survived and was given up to be raised foster parents. He subsequently became known as Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury.
Wedding of Matilda and Henry V
Matilda's marriage ended sadly; at the age of 23 she was left a widow. By that time, a succession crisis was brewing in England. The fact is that in 1120, Matilda's brother William, the only legitimate heir to the English throne, died tragically in a shipwreck. The king faced a difficult choice of whom to appoint as heir to the throne. In England at that time there was no such tradition as in France - to crown an heir while the king was still alive. In England, anyone worthy and noble man could challenge and dispute the right to the crown. After her husband's death in 1125, Matilda returned to Normandy. Since her father's second marriage did not bring children, she became the main contender for the crown. However, Henry I also considered his nephew Stephen of Blois and Matilda's bastard half-brother, Robert of Gloucester, as heirs. As a result, Henry nevertheless chose Matilda, in the hope that she would still be able to give birth to a boy who would become an heir. At Christmas 1126 English king gathered all the Anglo-Norman barons and forced them to recognize Matilda and her future heir as the legitimate rulers. Stephen of Blois also took the oath.
The shipwreck in which Wilhelm died
The nobility, of course, was not delighted with this choice, but obeyed the king’s word. Firstly, at that time there were no cases in either England or Normandy when a woman ruled. In addition, Matilda spent most of her life outside home country, therefore, she did not have any personal connections or supporters among the local aristocracy. Secondly, the future queen had a rather difficult temperament, she was capricious, arrogant, arrogant, treated people with contempt, all this made it difficult to establish strong contacts with the nobility. However, the Anglo-Norman nobility still swore allegiance to her, with the condition of approving the candidacy of a future husband for Matilda.
But here Henry I outplayed everyone. He secretly betrothed his daughter to Geoffrey Plantagenet, son of the Count of Anjou, who, after his father's departure to crusade inherited his power. The nobles were furious. A Frenchman at the head of the Anglo-Norman monarchy, and even from the House of Angevin, with whom the Norman dukes had been competing for a century in Northern France. Contemporaries wrote that “all the English and French had an unkind word for this marriage.” The wedding took place in the summer of 1128, but the relationship between the spouses did not go well. Matilda was not delighted with her groom, since a wedding with the count would lower her royal status, and he was just a boy - Geoffroy was 14 years old, while Matilda was already 26. After a year of marriage, her husband exiled Matilda to Rouen along with all her property. The couple were reunited only in 1131, and in 1133 their first child, Henry Plantagenet, was born. IN next year she gave birth to a second son, Geoffroy, Count of Nantes, and two years later another son, Guillaume, Count of Poitou. The problem of succession to the throne was resolved, Henry I was calm. Their last years He spent his life in Rouen, raising his eldest grandson, and trying to pacify the Norman barons, dissatisfied with the marriage of Geoffroy and Matilda.
Geoffrey of Anjou
The delicate balance was disrupted after the death of Henry I in 1135. Despite the fact that Stephen of Blois twice - in 1131 and 1133 - confirmed his oath of allegiance to Matilda, after the death of his uncle he decided to fight for the throne. He had many supporters both in England and Normandy. Upon news of the king's death, he immediately landed in England and was greeted with jubilation in London. Stephen was supported by the clergy, Bishop Roger of Salisbury, who controlled the royal administration, and most of English nobility. The reason for refusing to fulfill the oath, Stefan said, was that Matilda was allegedly illegitimate - her mother, before her marriage to Henry, was in a monastery and took a vow of celibacy, which means she could not lay claim to the crown. In general, at first Stefan held all the cards. In 1135, in London, he was crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, he was supported by aristocrats, the barons swore allegiance to him, even Matilda's half-brother Robert.
Empress Matilda, Lady of the English
At this time, Matilda and her husband tried to subjugate Normandy. They took control of the most important fortresses along southern border his duchy, and in 1136 Geoffrey attempted to invade Normandy. But there he received rebuff from Stephen's supporters and agreed to a six-month truce. After this, the Angevin attacks resumed. Soon Stephen himself arrived in Normandy, but he was unable to decisively repel Matilda’s troops and returned to England. After this, the Angevins went on the offensive with new strength, they captured several fortresses in northwestern France, but the advance of Stephen's allied army drove them back to Anjou. However, in 1139, a full-scale civil war broke out in England and the barons who supported Stephen were forced to leave Normandy. So, by 1144, Geoffrey managed to conquer most of the duchy and proclaim himself Duke of Normandy.
By 1139, the balance of power began to change. Matilda wasted no time and a year earlier tried to challenge Stephen's crown. She turned to the Pope, but the council of 1139 recognized Stephen's coronation as legal. But by that time the king began to gradually lose his influence. Robert of Gloucester went over to his sister’s side and gradually began to gather around him aristocrats who were dissatisfied with the king’s policies. And there were enough of them, especially after Stephen arrested Bishop Roger of Salisbury and tried to take away all his money and lands for his own benefit. This caused outrage among the church and the nobility. Even Stefan's younger brother went over to Matilda's side.
Stefan of Blois
She, in turn, took advantage of the split and landed on the Sussex coast. Her brother Robert, who now led her party, settled in Bristol. Soon Matilda also moved there, and the city became the unofficial capital of her supporters. The army of Matilda and Robert conquered more and more lands, they were supported by Scotland. On February 2, 1141, the Battle of Lincoln took place, in which Stephen's troops suffered crushing defeat, and the king himself was captured. He was taken to Bristol Castle to Matilda and kept there in chains. Now the path to power was clear. Matilda took possession of the royal treasury, and on April 8, 1141, she was officially elected Queen of England, receiving the title of Lady of the English, which was traditionally worn by monarchs in the period before their coronation. Matilda finally came to London, but the townspeople who sympathized with Stephen greeted her coldly. The queen immediately after her election began to distribute money, lands and titles to her supporters, and was so carried away that she even established six new count titles. Meanwhile, Londoners, dissatisfied with Matilda, began to organize into military organizations to protect their freedoms. They were outraged by the arrogance and neglect of them on the part of the queen, and when she wanted to surround the city with a tag, they completely rebelled. The Londoners took up arms and drove the queen out of the city. At the same time, troops of Stephen's supporters, led by his wife Matilda of Boulogne, approached the walls of London. They also began to distribute land and money, which lured away some of the supporters of Empress Matilda.
Battle of Lincoln
Matilda retreated to Oxford and then arrived at Winchester. But unexpectedly, enemy forces approached the city walls. The Battle of Winchester turned into a stampede for the Empress's army. Matilda herself miraculously survived, but her brother Robert was captured. To save his life, Matilda gave up her main trump card - she freed Stefan. This is how it ended short reign Matilda, which lasted from April 8 to December 7, 1141. After this, Stephen returned to the throne and was greeted as a martyr. Both the church and the aristocrats were on his side. Matilda's supporters were threatened with excommunication. In 1142, the king went on the offensive and began to take revenge. So, he burned Oxford, where Matilda was then. She held the siege for three months, and when her supplies ran out, she fled across the ice-covered Thames from the fortress. The number of her supporters was inexorably declining, Stefan conquered more and more lands. Even the entry into the war of Matilda's son Henry Plantagenet did not bring her any benefit. In 1147 he returned to Normandy having suffered several defeats from royal army. The following year Matilda left England.
After her defeat, she no longer took a direct part in the struggle for the English throne, but devoted herself to her family. The civil war did not end until 1153, when Stephen agreed to appoint Henry Plantagenet, Matilda's son, as his successor. Matilda indirectly influenced her son's politics and acted as a mediator during the conflict between her children. In 1167, Matilda died, and an epitaph was engraved on her grave, which summed up the queen’s difficult life: “Here lies buried the daughter, wife and mother of Henry, great by birth, even more so by marriage, but most of all by motherhood.”