Matilda (1101-69), Queen of England 1141 (Page 5)

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Matilda (1101-69), Queen of England 1141
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Emperor Henry V

Emperor Henry now in 1124 deciding to support Henry I against the French, plots a surprise attack, possibly against Reims. Or so Suger thought, cited by Stroll, but Henry V never advanced beyond Metz. (Ibid, p92) It is possible that the Bull, Pope Calixtus now wrote (Aug 1124) to annul the marriage of Sybil and William, was to remove this new threat to peace. Stroll by merely saying "suppress a rebellion in Normandy" seems to miss the point. Henry did not want his nephew William to achieve any advantageous position from which he might be a threat to Normandy and England.

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William and Sybil

Henry through the use of threats and money had the marriage between Sybil and William annulled by papal bull dated 26 Aug 1124. The Laud Chronicle under 1127 adds "entirely through the efforts of Henry, king of England, the marriage had been dissolved on the grounds of consanguinity." And at this point, Dec 1124, Pope Calixtus who had issued the bull, and who we are told acquiesced to Henry's overlordship in Normandy -- died. (See "Popes and Emperors 1100-1300") William next attached himself closer to his only reasonable aid, the king of France, and thus next married the half-sister of Louis' queen. Because of this closer relationship, when Count Charles of Flanders was slain in the spring of 1127, Louis gave the county of Flanders to William.

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Henry V Dies

Henry I had to now expect any legitimate heirs to come from any children of his daughter Matilda by her husband the Emperor, Henry V. A brief notice of her character by William of Malmesbury is at this link, where he states that she: "...resembled her father in fortitude, and her mother in sanctity : piety and assiduity vied with each other in her character, nor was it easy to discern, which of her good qualities was most commendable". ("Assiduity" means diligence, persistence.) Matilda was present when Emperor Henry V died on 22 May 1125 at Utrecht, without children by Matilda. Matilda stayed in Germany for perhaps up to a year after her husband's death, but her father wanted her back by his side. William of Malmesbury states that "As soon as he heard of the death of his son-in-law he recalled his daughter by honorable messengers dispatched for that purpose." (Source) Matilda left Germany reluctantly, she had lived there since the age of eight and she loved the people. And at least some of them, wanted her to stay on and rule them in her husband's place. But her father insisted and she returned to his court, in either 1125 or 1126 and apparently first at Normandy, where he then was. (Source) Henry of Huntingdon states that Henry "spent Christmas, Easter and Whitsuntide in Normandy, where he procured the ratification of the covenants of his great vassals". The editor states that the sense of this passage is obscure and believes what it means is that "Henry obtained from his Norman barons an acknowledgment of the fealty due to [Matilda] as his heir apparent." ("Chronicle", Book VII 1126 A.D.) Malmesbury states that that September, Henry returned to England with his daughter Matilda. Some of the princes of Germany, followed her oversea to demand that she return as their sovereign. The Laud Chronicle stating under 1126 : "King Henry was in Normandy all the year until after autumn, and returned to this country between the Nativity of St Mary [8 September] and Michaelmas. With him came the queen and his daughter whom he had formerly given in marriage to the emperor Henry of Lorraine."

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A French Truce

Matilda's uncle Alexander king of Scots had died, and his brother, who was thus also her uncle, had gained the throne as David, king of Scots. The Laud Chronicle, under 1126 states : "Then after Michaelmas came David, the king of Scots, from Scotland to this country: and king Henry received him with great ceremony, and he remained the whole year in this country." David was after-all also Henry's ex-brother-in-law.

In light of the almost unceasing hostilities so far, it's amazing that the Laud Chronicle does not mention any fighting in France for the years 1125 and 1126. However, perhaps after years living as Empress of the West, Matilda evidently had political insight into her situation. Apparently after consultation with her uncle David, she decided that the time was ripe to ensure the still shaky inheritance of Normandy. The Laud Chronicle states : "In this same year the king had his brother Robert taken out of the custody of Roger, bishop of Salisbury, and committed him to his son Robert, earl of Gloucester: he had him taken to Bristol and there imprisoned in the castle. This was done entirely on the advice of his daughter and of her maternal uncle, David the king of Scots." Matilda was astutely not trusting to the turn-as-turn-can loyalties of even a bishop, but trusted her half-brother Robert to be more inclined to look after her own interests.

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Heiress in England

The following January 1127, now back at Windsor, Henry demanded and obtained consent from the English barons, to Matilda being named his heir to England and Normandy. (Source) She was now her father's only hope for the continuation of his dynasty. As we saw in a prior section, the statement then about the "ratification of the covenants", probably was the consent from the Norman barons, obtained in 1126.

The Laud Chronicle, under 1127 states : "king Henry held his court at Christmas in Windsor. David, the king of Scots, was present, and all the most important men in England, ecclesiastics and laymen; and there he obtained an oath from archbishops, bishops, abbots, earls, and all those thanes present, that England and Normandy should pass after his death into the possession of his daughter Aethelic, wife of the late emperor of Germany."

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