Empress Matilda: The Turmoil of The Anarchy
Empress Matilda emerged as a key contender for the English crown during the chaos of The Anarchy.
This relentless civil war, spanning 1138 to 1153 in England and Normandy, led both regions into near-total collapse. Law and order vanished, leaving the land in fear and suffering. A chronicler of the time remarked, "Christ and his saints were asleep during this period." Even by medieval standards, the devastation was exceptional.
At the heart of this turmoil stood Empress Matilda—a woman of indomitable will, ambition, and royal lineage. Despite betrayals and resistance, she fought determinedly to claim the throne she believed was hers.
This is the saga of Empress Matilda.
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Timeline
00:00:Introduction
01:28:Ancestry & Early Life
04:09:First Marriage & Holy Roman Empress
07:47:English Succession Crisis
10:34:Kings & Lords Swear Fealty to Matilda
12:56:Mathilda Marries Geoffrey of Anjou
14:55:Prelude to War & Coronation of Stephen of Blois
19:40:The Anarchy
24:00:Battle of Lincoln
27:05:Mathilda is Crowned the Queen of England
29:16:The Rout of Winchester
32:30:Empress Mathilda's Great Escape
34:46:The Battle of Wilton
36:21:The Final Phase of the War
43:00:Later Life & Death