What if Matilda had become Queen?

I dont really know much about this time in history but i saw a time team episode where they were excavating a castle that once belonged to Empress Matilda and i became interested.

What if Matilda had succeeded Henry 1st instead of Steven?

:)
 
Even if you remove Stephen, there are still problems for Matilda. Until August 1136 her pregnancy realistically prevents her from travelling to England to be crowned. Stephen's elder brother, Theobald, also has a strong claim to the throne, which would receive the support of most of the Norman barons, and probably a lot of the English ones if he makes it there (there's another elder brother, William, but it's believed he was mentally deficient).

Matilda's best chance of being declared Queen would be for Henry I to hand over the castles in Normandy to her before his death, as she had demanded, in order to allow her to build up a power base their. Then, if she doesn't become pregnant by the time of her father's death, she can travel to England to receive the crown. She can rely on the support of her half-brother, Robert of Gloucester, which is a position of strength to be working from. Even still, Stephen and Theobald could cause her problems, especially if either got to England first.
 
wow
i never knew she faced so much obstacles!

Say somehow stephen dies, maybe a shipwreck or something and then Theobald either went the same way or just wasn't interested in claiming the throne. Maybe Henry 1st also gives Matilda the Norman castles and she doesn't become pregnant.

Then she could maybe travel to England and be crowned?
With her background with the Holy roman empire, could her being crowned mean future relations with England and the HRE?
 
Then she could maybe travel to England and be crowned?
With her background with the Holy roman empire, could her being crowned mean future relations with England and the HRE?

I would say no to closer relations between England and the Holy Roman Empire. Following her husband's (Henry V) death, the throne passed from the Salian dynasty to Lothair of Supplinburg who had been Henry V's enemy.
 
Top