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Chapter 1: All you need is male issue
The Concordat of Worms
In September of 1122 Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor had a good month. Firstly he concluded the Concordat of Worms with Pope Calixtus II. The agreement reaffirmed his rights to invest secular power in his bishops, but denied him power over spiritual affairs. The Concordat of Worms strengthened the power of the church as it removed Imperial control from church elections and reaffirmed recent reforms to the church, such as bans on Simony. While overall the agreement favored the church it did include some perks for Henry V, such as a right to arbitrate certain disputes inside of the church. More importantly it brought him back into full communion with Rome and freed up time to face down threats inside Germany.
The other news was more personal to the Imperial Household. After years of an unfruitful union Henry's wife, Matilda was pregnant. This was profoundly important, especially if the child ended up being male. Firstly it would preserve the Salian Dynasty, which was precariously close to ending should Henry die without history. A child would continue the line and keep power from slipping into the hands of any of the dynasty's German rivals. The other possible implication of an heir for Henry was across the sea in England. There another Henry ruled. The third son of William the Conquerer had gained the throne under slightly suspicious circumstances following the death of his elder brother William Rufus. Henry's own succession had seemed secure with the birth of his son William, who was a little over a year younger then Matilda. But tragedy had struck in 1120 William had been in Normandy, and undertook a journey back towards England in November, late in the season. The fact that a large portion of the crew and passengers were drunk did not help matters and the vessel struck a rock and capsized. All aboard died at sea except a lonely butcher. This obviously threw English succession into a bit of a chaotic state. Henry of England had not get declared an heir, still holding out hope for another son. Rumors swirled that Henry was considering one of his nephews as his heir, but as his only legitimate child Matilda would have a strong theoretical claim to the throne. Said claim would be hampered by her gender, but a son would provide legitimacy to her cause and ensure quavering Englishmen of a male line.
These possibilities all rested on the chance that the child of Henry and Matilda would be male, and this indeed came to pass. On February 27, 1123 their son was born. He was christened Henry, after his father and grandfather. By all accounts Henry was a healthy, strong child and there seemed no doubt that he would be the first of many for the couple as Henry V prepared to face down violence in his German possessions and prepare an expedition against the French.
The Royal Couple at a Feast
But it was not to be. The couple had conceived no more children by 1125 when Henry V began to die from what appears to be cancer. He entrusted the Imperial Seal to Matilda before succumbing to his illness in Utrecht on the 23 of May.
The waters here were treacherous for Matilda. She possessed something far more important then the seal, her 2 year old son Henry, heir to her late husband's holdings. However she was a women in an era where strong women were looked down upon, and many sought to disrupt the possible succession of a young boy to the Imperial throne. Further compounding her weakness was a lack of two very important coronations. Firstly was the suspect nature of her own Imperial claims. By her marriage to Henry V she held the title Queen of the Romans, but her coronation as Empress was dubiously binding at best. It had been preformed at a time when her husband was on the outs with the church by a clergyman who would later be removed from the hierarchy and excommunicated. Despite the Concordat having healed relations between her husband and the church she had not been indisputably crowned since the rift had been healed at Worms. This put a cloud over and claims she could make to being "Empress" and acting for her young son.
The second missing coronation was a coronation for young Henry. Heirs to the Holy Roman Empire were often crowned as "King of the Romans" before their predecessors died to ensure succession. But Henry V had never invested his son with any such title. In more stable circumstances this might not have mattered, but it could potentially provide a route of attack for those wishing to attack Henry's legitimacy and Henry V's heir.
All these troubles must have weighed on Matilda, but in her eyes her son was Emperor Henry VI and with any luck he would one day be Henry II of England.
The Concordat of Worms
In September of 1122 Henry V, Holy Roman Emperor had a good month. Firstly he concluded the Concordat of Worms with Pope Calixtus II. The agreement reaffirmed his rights to invest secular power in his bishops, but denied him power over spiritual affairs. The Concordat of Worms strengthened the power of the church as it removed Imperial control from church elections and reaffirmed recent reforms to the church, such as bans on Simony. While overall the agreement favored the church it did include some perks for Henry V, such as a right to arbitrate certain disputes inside of the church. More importantly it brought him back into full communion with Rome and freed up time to face down threats inside Germany.
The other news was more personal to the Imperial Household. After years of an unfruitful union Henry's wife, Matilda was pregnant. This was profoundly important, especially if the child ended up being male. Firstly it would preserve the Salian Dynasty, which was precariously close to ending should Henry die without history. A child would continue the line and keep power from slipping into the hands of any of the dynasty's German rivals. The other possible implication of an heir for Henry was across the sea in England. There another Henry ruled. The third son of William the Conquerer had gained the throne under slightly suspicious circumstances following the death of his elder brother William Rufus. Henry's own succession had seemed secure with the birth of his son William, who was a little over a year younger then Matilda. But tragedy had struck in 1120 William had been in Normandy, and undertook a journey back towards England in November, late in the season. The fact that a large portion of the crew and passengers were drunk did not help matters and the vessel struck a rock and capsized. All aboard died at sea except a lonely butcher. This obviously threw English succession into a bit of a chaotic state. Henry of England had not get declared an heir, still holding out hope for another son. Rumors swirled that Henry was considering one of his nephews as his heir, but as his only legitimate child Matilda would have a strong theoretical claim to the throne. Said claim would be hampered by her gender, but a son would provide legitimacy to her cause and ensure quavering Englishmen of a male line.
These possibilities all rested on the chance that the child of Henry and Matilda would be male, and this indeed came to pass. On February 27, 1123 their son was born. He was christened Henry, after his father and grandfather. By all accounts Henry was a healthy, strong child and there seemed no doubt that he would be the first of many for the couple as Henry V prepared to face down violence in his German possessions and prepare an expedition against the French.
The Royal Couple at a Feast
But it was not to be. The couple had conceived no more children by 1125 when Henry V began to die from what appears to be cancer. He entrusted the Imperial Seal to Matilda before succumbing to his illness in Utrecht on the 23 of May.
The waters here were treacherous for Matilda. She possessed something far more important then the seal, her 2 year old son Henry, heir to her late husband's holdings. However she was a women in an era where strong women were looked down upon, and many sought to disrupt the possible succession of a young boy to the Imperial throne. Further compounding her weakness was a lack of two very important coronations. Firstly was the suspect nature of her own Imperial claims. By her marriage to Henry V she held the title Queen of the Romans, but her coronation as Empress was dubiously binding at best. It had been preformed at a time when her husband was on the outs with the church by a clergyman who would later be removed from the hierarchy and excommunicated. Despite the Concordat having healed relations between her husband and the church she had not been indisputably crowned since the rift had been healed at Worms. This put a cloud over and claims she could make to being "Empress" and acting for her young son.
The second missing coronation was a coronation for young Henry. Heirs to the Holy Roman Empire were often crowned as "King of the Romans" before their predecessors died to ensure succession. But Henry V had never invested his son with any such title. In more stable circumstances this might not have mattered, but it could potentially provide a route of attack for those wishing to attack Henry's legitimacy and Henry V's heir.
All these troubles must have weighed on Matilda, but in her eyes her son was Emperor Henry VI and with any luck he would one day be Henry II of England.
- King of the Uzbeks
- Word Count: 820