The Empress Matilda, 1102-1167

"Great by birth, greater by marriage, greatest in her offspring: here lies Matilda, the daughter, wife, and mother of Henry"

This is the epitaph to Matilda, whose father Henry I, first husband the Holy Roman Emperor* Henry V, and son Henry II, all shared the same Christian name, and were the source of her greatness.

Depiction of Matilda in the 12th-century Gospels of Henry the Lion

This is not some misogynistic dismissal of Matilda, but a recognition of 12th-century society. Birth was all important, lands, and power went through an hereditary route tempered by conquest. If Matilda had not been the daughter of Henry I, she would never have been close to government, but nor would a man with no royal connexion. What is important in assessing Matilda is what she did with the situations she was in. And she was unquestionably quite remarkable, with an importance that has cascaded down the centuries.