Matilda (1101-69), Queen of England 1141 (Page 3)

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To Italy

"Countess Matilda of Tuscany had died on July 24, 1115, and had named Henry as the heir of her fiefs." (ibid p91)  Matilda went with her husband to Italy in 1115 or 1116.  Stroll citing the Annales Romani which state that "Henry had arranged for her to be crowned on May 13, 1117..." (Ibid p89)  Robert of Torigni, cited by DNB, states, "once and again, in the city of Romulus, the imperial diadem was placed on her head by the supreme pontiff" (continuation of William of Jumieges, p 306)".  They still were together in Northern Italy as late as Jan 1118 when Pope Paschal II died.

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Antipope Gregory VIII

When Pope Paschall II died Jan 1118, John of Gaeta was elected Pope and took the name Gelasius II.  Henry declared this election null and void, since it had not been with his consent.  Stroll cites Annales Romani that Emperor Henry V "...hurried back to Rome, where he orchestrated the election of Archbishop Maurice of Brega as Gregory VIII." (ibid p91, see also "Gregory VIII", Wikipedia)  Pope Gelasius fled Rome in March, went to Gaeta and then to Capua, from where he excommunicated both Antipope Gregory VIII and Henry V on 7 April 1118.  Henry, fearful of being deposed, hurried back to Germany.  Stroll that Henry, at this time, "left Matilda in charge of his troops", seems very unlikely, given that she could not have then been any older than 16.  But, Henry seems to have left her there as his representative, as she, with the chancellor, decided a law case in 1118.  Gelasius II died in Jan 1119 whereupon Guy, Archbishop of Vienna, was elected Pope and took the name Calixtus.  Gregory VIII however was evidently still holding Rome with those bishops who were in the imperial party.

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William Adelin's Marriage

Henry's first wife, as I've said, was Maud of Scotland, daughter of Malcolm III, King of Scotland.  The Laud Chronicle states under 1118 : "On 1 May Queen Matilda passed away at Westminster, and was buried there."  Her DNB entry states that : "Westminster had been her abode for many years; soon after the birth of her son she had ceased to follow the wanderings of her husband's court."  In speaking of her character, Robert of Gloucester states : "the goodness that she did here to England cannot all be here written, nor by any man understood."

Henry is known to have sired many illegitimate children by various mistresses, but Matilda had only one full-brother named William, (DNB, "William (1103-1120)") who was thus the only other legitimate issue of King Henry.  Fulk V, Count of Anjou (and future King of Jerusalem) had married in 1110 Eremburge, heiress of the county of Maine.  However Fulk swore fealty to Henry I, who then invested him with the county of Maine in late Feb 1113 "the alliance being confirmed by the betrothal of Henry's son to Fulk's daughter." (Medlands, "Foulques V" citing Orderic Vitalis, Book 9)  William was ten and this Matilda was probably several years younger.  Fulk had contracted to give the "county of Le Mayne" as dowry for this marriage.  The Laud Chronicle under 1118 states that Henry spent the entire year in Normandy, on account of being at war with the King of France, the Count of Anjou and the Count of Flanders.  Even so, in May of this same year 1119, Henry's son William "went from England into Normandy". (Laud Chronicle 1119, Orderic Vitalis Book 11). Orderic states that Henry sent peace ambassadors to Fulk the Count of Anjou and made with him an advantageous treaty.  William and Fulk's daughter Matilda married at Lisieux in June of 1119, when Fulk settled upon them the county of Maine, as Matilda's dowry.  Obviously a complex interaction of switching loyalties. Fulk at this time deciding to do a type of penance for his many crimes, resolved to go to Jerusalem, and so entrusted the county of Anjou to Henry I, to be returned should he return, "otherwise to go to William and his heirs by Matilda". (Source)  Orderic however states that Fulk committed his county to his wife and sons. (Orderic Vitalis Book 12)

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Henry, Henry, Louis and Calixtus

Under 1119 the Laud Chronicle states that Henry II put the king of France to flight and all his best men were taken. Orderic tells us "The next year [1119], war broke out between Henry, king of England, and Lewis, the French king; the battle of Bremulle, was fought on the thirteenth of the calends of September [20th August], in which the English and Normans gained the victory over the French army and were routed." (Orderic Vitalis Book 1 Chapter 24) We are given a battlefield account by Henry of Huntingdon.  ("Chronicle" Book VII 1119A.D.)

Pope Gelasius died this year and Guy, Archbishop of Vienna, was elected Pope and took the name Calixtus.  Pope Calixtus in Oct 1119 convened a council to which he invited all the bishops.  Orderic who was perhaps an eye-witness, gives us an account of the king of France coming there and requesting judgment on Henry I. (Orderic Vitalis, Book XII, Chaper XXI).  The Pope does not give his judgment at this time, but states that he is going to go see Emperor Henry, bringing along the Bishop of Rouen (which seems apropos as Emperor Henry was the son-in-law of Henry I who then controlled Rouen.)  The Pope states that "On my return, I will carefully discuss all your complaints and arguments.... After that I will go to the king of England..." (Orderic Vitalis, Book XII, Chapter XXI)  Orderic however relates that the Emperor Henry's request to see the Pope was a subterfuge, Henry only desirous of making the Pope his prisoner.  And so, upon Calixtus' return to this council Emperor Henry was excommunicated by Calixtus. (ibid.)  It is perhaps surprising that Calixtus was so trusting toward the Emperor who still had, in his pocket, his Antipope Gregory VIII, then evidently still in Rome.

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In November, Pope Calixtus came into Normandy to see Henry I, and their meeting at Gisors is related in detail by Orderic. (Orderic Vitalis, Book XII, Chapter XXIV)  Stroll states that the two men met "probably on November 23 or 24". ("Calixtus 2", p117)  Orderic states that the Pope told Henry that : "...the synod of the faithful has unanimously decreed, and humbly implores your highness, that your brother Robert, whom you have long detained in captivity, be set free, and that you restore to him and his son the duchy of Normandy, of which you have deprived them." (ibid. p24)  Orderic then has Henry tell the Pope that Normandy had been an almost lawless and heathen country under his brother Robert, that Robert had aided and sheltered outlaws and so on.  That the people had begged Henry to save them, and so he was forced to war against his brother.  That he continues to hold his brother because he is afraid that Robert might stir up the fight again if released.  The Pope is here said to have acquiesced or at least deferred judgment.

We are of course able to read this as a exaggerated justification for what was apparently a political solution to the problem of the day.  A dozen or more Norman lords had fiefs in both Normandy and in England.  Any complaint against one overlord could then be taken to the court of the other.  It seems almost a foregone conclusion that this situation would cause conflicts in England, Normandy or both, which would never end.  One faction always being able to gain adherents from the other side across the sea.  Henry of Huntingdon gives a more reasonable account of the capture of Robert. (Henry of Huntingdon, "Chronicle" Book 7)