The Empress Matilda
Queen Consort, Queen Mother and Lady of the English
1. Edition September 1993
252 Pages, Softcover
Wiley & Sons Ltd
This is the first comprehensive and fully documented study of the Empress Matilda to be published in English. Much of the serious work on her life and historical importance has never been translated from German, and almost all has concentrated on the years of her struggle with Stephen for the English crown. This book examines her career as a whole, including the years as consort of the Emperor Henry V and as regent in Normandy for her son Henry II. It illustrates the problems of female succession in the early twelfth century, and gives a balanced assessment of Matilda's character and achievements in the context of her own times.
Foreword.
Genealogical Tables.
1. Great by Birth.
2. Greater by Marriage.
3. Political Inheritance.
4. Disputed Succession.
5. Lady of the English.
6. Lordship and Governance in a Divided Realm.
7. Greatest in her Offspring.
8. Personal Patronage.
9. The Empress in History.
Bibliography of Abbreviated Titles.
Index.
Dr Chibnall's aim, ably achieved, has been to reconstruct the
outline of Matilda's life, place her in the society and politics of
the age, and form an assessment of her character." Times
Literary Supplement
"A formidable book about a formidable woman ... based on an
extremely thorough understanding of the sources and casts a broad
beam of light on the twelfth century." Journal of Ecclesiastical
History
"Very satisfying ... written with lucidity and force ... a very
valuable addition to the corpus of core texts for any student of
Norman and Angevin England." History
"The intention of this book, is to examine Matilda's role in
Anglo-Norman history and, as a female heir to the throne, in the
history of feudal society. Marjorie Chibnall not only achieves this
aim but surpasses it. This is a full biography of a twelfth-century
woman who was in the center of power throughout her life and who
served in both traditional and nontraditional female roles. It
furthers our understanding of the person and of the political
history of the Anglo-Norman kingdom. It also is a beautifully
written book, one accessible to both scholar and student."
Speculum
"This is a biography that is both scholarly and readable."
English Historical Review
