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| Depiction by H. B. (c. 1800s) |
Birth name: Mathilde de Flandres
Born: c. 1031, County of Flanders, Kingdom of France
Father: Baldwin V, Count of Flanders
Mother: Princess Adela of France 'The Holy'
House: Flanders
Nationality: Fleming
Religion: Catholicism
Consort of: William I 'The Conqueror'
Reign: 25 December 1066 - 02 November 1083 (16 years)
Coronation: 11 May 1068
Predecessor: Ealdgyth of Mercia
Successor: Matilda of Scotland
Died: 02 November 1083 (aged 52), Caen, Duchy of Normandy, Kingdom of France
Cause: Unknown illness
Burial: Abbaye aux Dames
Motto: N/A
Spouse(s):
- King William I of England 'The Conqueror' (m. 1051 - 1083)
Children:
- With King William I of England
- Robert II, Duke of Normandy 'Curthose' (c. 1052 - 1134)
- Prince Richard of Normandy (c. 1055 - 1075)
- King William II of England 'Rufus' (c. 1056 - 1100)
- Constance, Duchess of Brittany (c. 1057 - 1090)
- Princess Matilda of Normandy (c. 1061 - c. 1086)
- Princess Cecilia of Normandy, Abbess of Holy Trinity (c. 1065 - 1127)
- Saint Adela, Countess of Blois (c. 1067 - 1137)
- King Henry I of England 'Beauclerc' (1068 - 1113)
- Princess Adeliza of Normandy (???? - c. 1113)
- Princess Agatha of Normandy (???? - ????)
Matilda was always rumoured to have been of very short stature, however, modern measurements of her skeleton revealed her to have officially been around 152cm (5'0'') in height; the average height of a woman during this period of time.
There is no surviving physical description of her, though she was noted by a Norwegian chronicler to have been beautiful.
She was known for wearing her hair in two plaits, a common hairstyle at the time.
Character:
She was quite popular with her people and was very independent. She won people over with her good manners and regality.
Matilda also supervised her children's education, including that of her daughters, something which was quite unusual at the time. Overall, she was very close with her children, and often interceded on their behalf when they angered their father.
She was clever, being a close advisor to her husband, and purposefully gave birth in one of the most rebellious regions of England in order to further solidify her husband's and children's claims to the English throne.
She also enjoyed travelling and meeting with different people from around her lands.
However, she could also be quite vengeful, confiscating the lands of a noble who had rejected her hand in marriage before her betrothal to William.
Biography:
Matilda was likely born in Flanders, a vassal state of the Kingdom of France, some time around the year 1031, and was the second of three children born to Baldwin V, Count of Flanders, and his wife, Princess Adela of France. The Flanders were a very powerful family, and through her mother, Matilda was the grand-daughter of King Robert II of France.
Though not much is known about her upbringing, she likely received a decent education, and was well known for her intelligence.
Due to her high rank in European nobility, she was highly sought after as a bride. At one point, there were rumours that she had been in love with the English ambassador to Flanders, but nothing is known for sure. One particular suitor who had his eye on her, was the illegitimate Duke of Normandy, William. Marrying Matilda would greatly raise his status within Europe, but Matilda refused, believing herself to be above him. Apparently, upon her refusal, William rode to her location and dragged her around by her plaits before pushing her into the mud. He then proceeded to beat her until she agreed to the match. Yet the truth in this story is highly debated.
Regardless of whether it's true or not, Matilda did eventually agree to marry William, and the two of them were wed in 1051 in secret - the Pope had originally objected to the marriage on the grounds of them being distant cousins. This now made Matilda the Duchess of Normandy.
Despite apparently being bullied into marrying him, the relationship between them was an immediate success. They quickly grew very fond of each other, and William would often rely on her for advice. They would remain loyal to each other, and William would never take any mistresses, something which was very unusual during this time.
Throughout their marriage, they had around ten children together, and Matilda would play an active role in their upbringing and education.
Eight years after their marriage, the Pope finally agreed to bless their union. She continued to be her husband's most loyal supporter in Normandy, and was quick to support his claim to the throne of England, as allegedly promised by King Edward of the English.
In 1066, King Edward of the English finally died, and a succession crisis occurred in the Kingdom of England. Three people claimed to be Edward's heir: Harold Godwinson, King Harald III of Norway, and William, Duke of Normandy. Harold Godwinson quickly seized the throne, and was elected by the Saxon nobles of England.
William immediately began planning his invasion to reclaim his allegedly promised kingdom, and Matilda played a huge part in the preparation. She wrote to the Pope to ask for his blessing for the invasion, and commissioned her husband's flagship so that he could sail across the English Channel. However, she would remain in France while her husband's invasion went ahead.
Her husband defeated King Harold II of England in the Battle of Hastings later that year. King Harald III of Norway had already been previously defeated by Harold, which likely weakened his forces and helped allow for the Norman victory. Matilda was proclaimed the new Queen of England, and was beyond excited by the news.
However, the Norman conquest was not popular in England, and her husband would face many threats to his reign. Matilda remained in Normandy at first, acting as her husband's regent, before she finally arrived in England in 1068 when her coronation was held.
Immediately upon her coronation, Matilda went about helping her husband solidify his rule. She purposefully gave birth to one of her children in York, the region most opposed to the new Norman dynasty, and set to work on ensuring they won over the hearts of the people of England, rather than simply conquering them. She worked hard and travelled the country, despite the public's suspicions of her. She quelled her husband's temper, and did most of the work behind the scenes for him, since William had little patience for actual government work.
Unfortunately, by the 1070s, what had once been a close family began to fall apart. Matilda began to promote the interests of her eldest and favourite child, Robert. William refused to secede any power to his heir, as both he and Robert did not get along, and he possessed a rather dim view of his son. Her son, Richard, was also killed in a horse riding accident in 1075.
By 1077, an increasingly frustrated Robert began a rebellion against his father, which Matilda secretly funded. William was very nearly killed by Robert in battle, with the killing blow only being halted when Robert recognised his father's voice beneath the armour. Scared and humiliated, Robert then fled into exile.
Matilda's role in their son's rebellion was quickly discovered, and she was brought before William in front of the entire court. William was devastated upon learning of his wife's role, and publicly chastised her, expressing his deep heartbreak over her actions. Matilda herself also broke down and delivered a speech to her husband, pleading for his forgiveness, and insisted that she had only acted as a mother who desired the best for her child. As one of the most brutal and unforgiving rulers in all of Europe, no one expected William to have mercy on her, but he did. Matilda was forgiven and spared, likely due to her own cunning and cleverness, as well as her husband's genuine love for her. However, she was stripped of all her political power.
In the years that followed, Matilda kept attempting to reconcile her husband and eldest son, but to no avail. This stressed her out a great deal, and it eventually began to take its toll on her health. Matilda became more frequently fatigued and ill.
She appeared to have realised she was dying, as she confessed all her sins while crying, before she finally passed away in 1083.
Rule:
Her reign as English consort is regarded as highly successful.
She played her part as peacemaker, one of the traditional roles of a medieval queen, including after her participation in her son, Robert's, rebellion against his father. She had funded his exploits, which betrayed and greatly angered her husband, and after Robert fled, he publicly scolded her in front of the entire court, to which she collapsed to her knees and apologised. She managed to successfully beg for their forgiveness, which did result in her losing a great deal of power, but showed clever manipulation and her independent nature as a royal consort.
Though her husband believed in ruling through strength and conquest, Matilda encouraged also winning the hearts of the people of England. She travelled and met with her subjects, which greatly endeared her to the English people, who had previously referred to her as 'the strange woman'.
She enlivened both the Norman and English courts with culture and festivities, endorsing poets, artists and musicians.
Matilda was also a successful regent while her husband was away on military campaigns, and her wielding of authority was completely unprecedented within the Kingdom of England. Her signature appears on many charters and documents, demonstrating the power and sway she held within government.
Trivia:
- Matilda would become the godmother of Princess Matilda of Scotland, who would go on to marry her son, Henry, and also become Queen of England. During the Christening, the baby girl had pulled at Matilda's headdress, which was considered an omen that she too would one day be queen.
- She may have been one of the creators of the Bayeux Tapestry.
Quotes:
"O my lord, do not wonder that I love my first-born child with tender affection. By the power of the Most High, if my son Robert were dead and buried seven feet deep in the earth, hid from the eyes of the living, and I could bring him back to life with my own blood, I would shed my life-blood for him and suffer more anguish for his sake than, weak woman that I am, I dare to promise."
Defence speech given to her husband upon his questioning of her loyalty after their son's rebellion.
Sources & Further Reading:
Izzard, N. (n.d.). Matilda of Flanders. Historic UK. https://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofEngland/Matilda-of-Flanders/
Matilda of Flanders. (2025). Historic Royal Palaces. https://www.hrp.org.uk/tower-of-london/history-and-stories/matilda-of-flanders/
Matilda of Flanders.png - Wikimedia Commons. (2009). Wikimedia.org. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Matilda_of_Flanders.png
Matilda Of Flanders | Queen consort of England. (n.d.). Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Matilda-of-Flanders
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