Empress Matilda

Empress Matilda

A talk by Professor Elisabeth van Houts

Tuesday 3rd November 7pm 

Empress Matilda (1102-67) and Ely during the civil war (1135-54).

In this lecture, Professor van Houts will discuss Matilda’s unique position as the first uncrowned queen regnant of England, her struggle against her cousin King Stephen (1135-1154), and her ultimate support for her son Henry II, Stephen’s successor. Sent as child bride, aged 8, Matilda was sent to marry Emperor Henry V of Germany. The first evidence we have of her betrothal is her autograph cross in the charter that established Ely as a bishopric in 1109.  Aged 23 as a childless widow Matilda returned to her father, who then designated her as his heir and successor. But on Henry I’s death her cousin Stephen stole her crown. Matilda, remarried and as mother of three sons sailed to England to challenge Stephen. In 1141 she almost succeeded; having briefly imprisoned him she was acclaimed queen regnant of England. On the eve of her coronation the Londoners forced her to flee and for the rest of her time in England Matilda was based in Oxford and Devizes. Although she never visited East Anglia, several of her prominent advisers, amongst them Bishop Nigel of Ely, strongly supported her.  The last twenty years of her life she spent in Normandy.

Elisabeth van Houts is a Life Fellow of Emmanuel College and Emeritus Honorary Professor of European Medieval History at the University of Cambridge.  She has written widely on medieval Anglo-Norman history, gender and memory. Her most recent books are Married Life in the Middle Ages, 900-1300 (Oxford University Press, 2019) and Empress Matilda, Queen of the Romans and Ruler of the English, English Monarch Series (London, Yale University Press, 2026)

Tickets £8.50

Gates open at 6.30pm