EXPERT BIO
CATHERINE HANLEY
Dr Catherine Hanley is a historian of Medieval Studies, specialising in warfare during the Middle Ages. She is the author of Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior (Yale University Press, 2019).
Empress Matilda was a major political player of the 12th century. Heir to the throne, granddaughter of William the Conqueror and Malcolm III of Scotland and adversary of King Stephen, she led a remarkable life for a medieval woman. Her resolve to rightfully claim the throne of England by any means necessary, casting aside the expectations of her sex, made her an intimidating opponent who would stop at nothing to achieve her aim. But what is her story? As the almost-queen of England, the tale of her life has been somewhat lost, overshadowed by the success of her descendants.
Matilda was born in February 1102 in a small village in Oxfordshire. The first child of King Henry I of England, Duke of Normandy, and his wife Edith-Matilda of Scotland, Matilda was a true princess. Royal blood ran through her veins. Unfortunately, being born a girl meant that she was highly unlikely to inherit the throne of England. Those odds became slimmer with the birth of her younger brother and heir to throne, William Adelin, in 1103.
The direction of Matilda’s life was decided for her in 1109 when, like many royal daughters, she was betrothed to a man for her family’s political gain. The man in question was the extremely powerful Emperor Henry V, who ruled over the area of Europe that later became known as the
