Empress Matilda: life of the week

Hello and welcome to Life of the Week, where leading historians delve into the lives of some of history's most intriguing and significant figures, from ancient Egyptian pharaohs and medieval warriors to daring 20th-century spies. In the tumultuous aftermath of Henry I's Death in the 12th century, England was thrown into one of the most chaotic civil wars in its history, the anarchy. At the heart of the struggle stood Empress Matilda, daughter of a king, widow of an emperor, mother of a future dynasty, and the woman who came closer than any before her to ruling medieval England in her own right. Yet, bold and authoritative, Matilda has historically been seen in a less than favorable light until recent reassessments.

I spoke to historian and author Dr. Catherine Hanley to explore Matilda's extraordinary life and legacy, from her imperial upbringing in the Holy Roman Empire to her daring campaign against King Stephen and her life after the conflict. We are going to be charting the life of Empress Matilda today. So let's introduce her. Could you give us a 60-second sales pitch?

Why should we know about her? What are the moments we need to know about? Matilda was born in 1102. She was the daughter of King Henry I of England, who was himself the youngest son of William the Conqueror.

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