On 07 Feb 1102 Empress Matilda was born to King Henry I "Beauclerc" England (age 34) and Edith aka Matilda Dunkeld Queen Consort England (age 22).

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1109. In this year was the [her father] King Henry (age 41) at Christmas and at Easter in Normandy; and before Pentecost he came to this land, and held his court at Westminster. There were the conditions fully settled, and the oaths sworn, for giving his daughter (age 6)¹³⁷ to the [her future husband] emperor (age 27).¹³⁸

Note 137. Matilda, Mathilde, or Maud.

Note 138. Henry V. of Germany, the son of Henry IV.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1110. This year before Lent the [her father] king (age 42) sent his daughter (age 7) with manifold treasures over sea, and gave her to the [her future husband] emperor (age 28).

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1110. This year also died Earl Elias, who held Maine in fee-tail¹⁴⁰ of [her father] King Henry (age 42); and after his death the [her future father-in-law] Earl of Anjou (age 21) succeeded to it, and held it against the king. This was a very calamitous year in this land, through the contributions which the king received for his daughter's (age 7) portion, and through the badness of the weather, by which the fruits of the earth were very much marred, and the produce of the trees over all this land almost entirely perished. This year men began first to work at the new minster at Chertsey [Map].

Note 140. That is, the territory was not a "fee simple", but subject to "taillage" or taxation; and that particular species is probably here intended which is called in old French "en queuage", an expression not very different from that in the text above.

On 07 Jan 1114 Henry V Holy Roman Emperor (age 32) and Empress Matilda (age 11) were married. She by marriage Holy Roman Empress. The difference in their ages was 20 years. She the daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England (age 46) and Edith aka Matilda Dunkeld Queen Consort England (age 34).

On 01 May 1118 [her mother] Edith aka Matilda Dunkeld Queen Consort England (age 38) died at Westminster Palace [Map]. She was buried at Westminster Abbey [Map].

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1119. This year went [her brother] William (age 15), the son of [her father] King Henry (age 51) and Queen Matilda (age 16), into Normandy [Map] to his father, and there was given to him, and wedded to [her future sister-in-law] wife, the daughter (age 8) of the [her future father-in-law] Earl of Anjou (age 30).

Florence of Worcester. 23 May 1125. The emperor [her husband] Henry (age 43) died, and was buried at Spires, where his grandfather was also interred. Lothaire, the ninety-eighth emperor of the Romans, reigned thirteen years.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1126. In this year the [her father] king (age 58) had his brother [her uncle] Robert (age 75) taken from the Bishop Roger of Salisbury, and committed him to his son¹ [her illegitimate half-brother] Robert, Earl of Glocester (age 27), and had him led to Bristol, and there put into the castle. That was all done through his daughter's (age 23) counsel, and through [her uncle] David, the king of the Scots (age 42), her uncle.

Note 1. Illegitimate.

Anglo-Saxon Chronicle. 1126. All this year was the [her father] King Henry (age 58) in Normandy-all till after harvest. Then came he to this land, betwixt the Nativity of St. Mary and Michaelmas. With him came the [her mother] queen, and his daughter (age 23), whom he had formerly given to the [her former husband] Emperor Henry of Lorrain to wife. And he brought with him the Earl Waleram (age 22), and Hugh, the son of Gervase (age 28). And the earl he sent to Bridgenorth [Map] in captivity: and thence he sent him afterwards to Wallingford, Oxfordshire [Map]; and Hugh to Windsor Castle [Map], whom he ordered to be kept in strong bonds.

On 10 Jun 1128 [her future husband] Geoffrey Plantagenet Duke Normandy (age 14) was knighted by [her father] King Henry I "Beauclerc" England (age 60) in preparation for his wedding to Henry's daughter Empress Matilda (age 26).

On 17 Jun 1128 Geoffrey Plantagenet Duke Normandy (age 14) and Empress Matilda (age 26) were married. She the daughter of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England (age 60) and Edith aka Matilda Dunkeld Queen Consort England. He the son of Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem (age 39) and Ermengarde La Flèche De Baugency Countess Anjou.

After 1132 Thierry Count Flanders (age 33) and [her sister-in-law] Sibylla Anjou Countess Essex and Flanders (age 20) were married. She by marriage Countess Flanders. She the daughter of [her father-in-law] Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem (age 43) and Ermengarde La Flèche De Baugency Countess Anjou. He the son of Theodoric "Valiant" Metz II Duke Lorraine and Gertrude Flanders Duchess Lorraine.

On 05 Mar 1133 [her son] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England was born to [her husband] Geoffrey Plantagenet Duke Normandy (age 19) and Empress Matilda (age 31) at Le Mans [Map]. He a grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

On 01 Jun 1134 [her son] Geoffrey Plantagenet Count Nantes was born to [her husband] Geoffrey Plantagenet Duke Normandy (age 20) and Empress Matilda (age 32) at Rouen, France [Map] or Argentan. He a grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

On 22 Jul 1136 [her son] William Plantagenet was born to [her husband] Geoffrey Plantagenet Duke Normandy (age 22) and Empress Matilda (age 34) at Argentan or Angers [Map]. He a grandson of King Henry I "Beauclerc" England.

Florence of Worcester. Oct 1139. The Empress at Bristol Castle-Cruelties at Gloucester. This lady (age 37) stayed at Bristol more than two months, receiving homage from all, and exercising the prerogatives of the crown of England at her pleasure. She went there in the month of October, and came on the eighteenth of the calends of November (15th October) to Gloucester, where she received the submission and homage of the citizens and the people of the neighbourhood. But tortures worthy of Decius and Nero, and death in various shapes, were inflicted on those who refused to do her homage, and chose to maintain their fealty to the king; and the city, glorious in past ages, was filled with shrieks and fearful torments, and became horrible to those who inhabited it. In the midst of these miseries the king laid siege to the castle of Wallingford [Map], which stood out against him. Weary of the long siege, and having erected forts in opposition to it, he marched away, and encamped near Malmesbury, where he also threw up works against his adversaries, the authors of rebellion.

Florence of Worcester. Oct 1139. The Empress and the Earl, her Brother, land in England. In the month of October, the [her illegitimate half-brother] earl of Gloucester (age 40), son of [her father] king Henry, late king of England, but a bastard, with his sister (age 37) by the father's side, formerly empress of the Romans, and now countess of Anjou, returned to England with a large army, and landed at Portsmouth, before the feast of St. Peter ad Vincula, on the calends [the 1st] of August, while the king was besieging Marlborough; and their arrival filled all England with alarm. On receiving this intelligence, Stephen, king of England, was much disturbed in his mind, and in great wrath with those whose duty it was vigilantly to guard the sea-ports. He is the king of peace, and would that he were also the king of vigour and justice, treading under foot his enemies, determining all things by the balance of equal justice, and in the power of his might protecting and strengthening the friends of peace. When, however, he learned that the [her step-mother] ex-queen (age 36)² had received the ex-empress, with her large band of retainers, at Arundel [Map], he was much displeased, and marched his army thither. But she, being awed by the king's majesty, and fearing that she might lose the rank she held in England, swore solemnly that no enemy of his had come to England on her invitation; but that, saving her dignity, she had granted hospitality to persons of station, who were formerly attached to her. The king, on hearing this, dismissed her, and ordered the bishop of Winchester to conduct the ex-empress with honour, as she was his cousin, to her brother, at Bristol castle, while he himself went in pursuit of the earl. But hearing nothing certain about him, for he had taken to certain by-roads for a time, he led his troops to another quarter, as he had planned. Milo, the constable, having abjured his oath of allegiance to the king, went over to the earl of Gloucester, his liege-lord, with a large body of troops, promising him on his fealty to lend him help against the king. The calamities which flowed from this quarter, namely, the city of Bristol, and spread over all England, are beyond the knowledge or eloquence of man to describe; for of those who opposed him, or obeyed the royal authority, as many as could be taken were made prisoners, and all the captives were thrown into chains, and subjected to horrible tortures. New varieties of cruel punishment were invented; mercenary troops were enlisted in every direction for carrying on the work of destruction, to whom was given, or sold for their pay, the inhabitants of the villages and farms, with all their goods and substance.²

Note 1. Alice, widow of Henry I., who had Arundel Castle [Map] for her dower.

Note 2. See an account of these atrocities in the "Gesta Stephani," p. 353.

Annals of Winchester. [1141]. In this year, King Stephen (age 47) came to Lincoln with a great army, thinking he could easily subdue the Earl of Chester (age 42) and his brother, along with their castle. However, [her illegitimate half-brother] Robert, Earl of Gloucester (age 42), whose sister [daughter] had been married to the Earl of Chester, came to their aid. Crossing the river Trent with difficulty, Robert and the Earl of Chester fought valiantly against the king and his forces. After many of the king's men were killed and captured, the king himself was captured, having been struck by a stone. He was then presented to the Empress Matilda (age 38), imprisoned in the castle, and held in chains. The Empress was received as the ruler by nearly all the leaders of England in Winchester, with the Lord Legate Henry (age 43), the Bishop of Winchester, presiding over the ceremony. She received the homage and fealty of all. However, the people of London did not submit willingly, or if they did, they did so grudgingly. Regardless, they continually plotted against her. When she happened to be in London, they made every attempt to capture her, but she was forewarned, leaving her belongings behind and escaping with her supporters. Finally, a dispute arose between the legate and the Empress. The Empress and her followers held the royal castle and the eastern part of Winchester, along with the townsmen. The legate and his supporters held their castle with the western part of the city and the Londoners. To make a long story short, the city was set on fire and laid waste. The nunnery church was burned, as was the church of Hyde, and a large crucifix was stripped of over two hundred marks of silver and thirty marks of gold. In the end, the Earl was captured and released as part of a ransom deal with the king. And so, the others were exchanged for others. The king regained his realm.

MCXLI. Hoc anno venit rex Lincolniam cum magno exercitu, æstimans comitem Cestrensem cum fratre suo et castello facile sibi posse subicere. Sed Robertus comes Glouecestriæ, cujus sororem comes Cestrensis dudum duxerat, venit eis in auxilium. Transitoque, licet cum difficultate, flumine Trenta, cum invento ibi rege et exercitu viriliter dimicavit, et comes Cestrensis cum suis ex parte altera. Exclusus rex, interfectis multis ex suis et captis, ictu denique lapidis procumbens, captus est, et imperatrici præsentatus, et in castello in annulis missus. Imperatrix igitur a domino legato Henrico, Wintoniensi episcopo, et omnibus fere capitaneis Angliæ apud Wintoniam in dominam suscepta est, suscepitque omnium homagia et fidelitates. Londonienses tamen non fecerunt fidelitatem, aut si fecerunt hoc, inviti. Licet autem fecerunt an non, semper ei insidiabantur, ita ut cum forte fuisset Londoniæ, illam capere modis omnibus temptaverunt; sed præmunita, relictis supellectilibus suis, clanculo cum suis aufugit. Facta demum inter legatum et imperatricem discordia, imperatrix cum suis castellum tenuit regium et orientalem partem Wintoniæ, et burgenses cum ea; legatus cum suis castrum suum cum parte occidentali et Londoniensibus. Quid multa? Combusca est civitas et depopulata. Ecclesia sanctimonialiurn combusta, et ecclesia de Hida, et excrustata est magna crux, inventæqne sunt in illa plus quam D. marcæ argenti et auri xxx. Comes postremo captus est, et redditus pro excambio regis, et sic cæteri alii pro aliis. Recepitque regnum suum rex.

In 1141 William Mohun 1st Earl of Somerset (age 51) was created 1st Earl Somerset for life by Empress Matilda (age 38).

On 13 Nov 1143 [her father-in-law] Fulk "Young" King Jerusalem (age 54) was killed whilst hunting. His wife Melisende Queen of Jerusalem (age 38) continued to reign in her own right with their son [her brother-in-law] Baldwin III King Jerusalem (age 13).

In 1144 [her husband] Geoffrey Plantagenet Duke Normandy (age 30) by conquest Duke Normandy. Empress Matilda (age 41) by marriage Duchess Normandy.

Around May 1144 Roger Fitzmiles 2nd Earl Hereford (age 19) and Empress Matilda (age 42) were in Devizes, Wiltshire.

On 07 Sep 1151 [her husband] Geoffrey Plantagenet Duke Normandy (age 38) died at Château du Loir [Map]. He was buried at St Julien's Cathedral [Map].

Around 05 Jun 1152 [her daughter-in-law] Eleanor of Aquitaine (age 30) visited Fontevraud Abbey [Map] where she met [her former sister-in-law] Abbess Matilda (age 41) (her husband's [her son] Henry's (age 19) aunt by marriage - Abbess Matilda had married [her brother] William Adelin brother of his mother Empress Matilda (age 50) who had died in the White Ship Disaster).

On 06 Jan 1156 [her granddaughter] Matilda Plantagenet Duchess Saxony was born to [her son] King Henry "Curtmantle" II of England (age 22) and [her daughter-in-law] Eleanor of Aquitaine Queen Consort Franks and England (age 34) at Windsor Castle [Map] (probably) and named after her paternal grandmother Empress Matilda (age 53).

Letters. 1165. Letter IV. Empress Matilda (age 62) to Archbishop Thomas Becket (age 45).

To Thomas archbishop of Canterbury, Matilda the empress.

My lord pope sent to me, enjoining me, for the remission of my sins, to interfere to renew peace and concord between you and the [her son] king, my son (age 31), and to try to reconcile you to him. You, as you well know, have asked the same thing from me; wherefore, with the more good-will, for the honour of God and the Holy Church, I have begun and carefully treated of that affair. But it seems a very hard thing to the king, as well as to his barons and council, seeing he so loved and honoured you, and appointed you lord of his whole kingdom and of all his lands, and raised you to the highest honours in the land, believing he might trust you rather than any other; and especially so, because he declares that you have, as far as you could, roused his whole kingdom against him; nor was it your fault that you did not disinherit him by main force. Therefore I send you my faithful servant, Archdeacon Laurence, that by him I may know your will in these affairs, and what sort of disposition you entertain towards my son, and how you intend to conduct yourself, if it should happen that he fully grants my petition and prayer on your behalf. One thing I plainly tell you, that you cannot recover the king's favour, except by great humility and most evident moderation. However, what you intend to do in this matter signify to me by my messenger and your letters.

On 10 Sep 1167 Empress Matilda (age 65) died. She was buried under the high alter at Bec Abbey [Map] during a service performed by Rotrou Newburgh Archbishop of Rouen. Her tomb's epitaph reads 'Great by birth, greater by marriage, greatest in her offspring: here lies Matilda, the daughter, wife, and mother of Henry'.

After 1846 Empress Matilda was re-buried in Rouen Cathedral, Rouen.