Did The FIRST English Queen LOSE Her Crown? - Part 3/3 - Empress Matilda History Documentary

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2 жыл бұрын

Why was England's first queen never crowned? Usually remembered as the mother of Henry II, Empress Matilda was almost the first crowned queen of England. This medieval history series explores how her crown was usurped, and also how Empress Matilda was forced into the shadows of history.
You can find Part 1 here - • Did The FIRST English ...
And Part 2 here - • Did The FIRST English ...
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Sources:
Helen Castor, She-Wolves: The Women Who Ruled England Before Elizabeth amzn.to/3Ks5yiw
Jim Bradbury, Stephen and Matilda: The Civil War of 1139 - 53
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Lisa Hilton, Queens Consort: England's Medieval Queens
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Alison Weir, Queens of the Conquest: The extraordinary women who changed the course of English history 1066 - 1167
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William of Malmesbury, Chronicle of the Kings of England
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Пікірлер: 82

@HistorysForgottenPeople 2 жыл бұрын

Please click here to watch Part 1! - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pdBmdKmiysiycok.html And here to watch Part 2! - kzfaq.info/get/bejne/bMd1gcmAyMjUo6c.html Which forgotten people from history would you guys like to see a video on next? 👍🤗

@joiespelund4170 Жыл бұрын

OK, as long as I'm here . . . Again, I have another ancestor. Elizabeth Fones (Winthrop, Feake, Hallet) is my 8th great-grandmother. She is another woman way ahead of her time that I have so much respect for. I have read "That (The?) Winthrop Woman" and found it well done. Of course, I recognize that this book as well as the trilogy of Eleanor are fictionalized history. But have checked that most are of actual events, even though we may not know what each said or felt.

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

@@joiespelund4170 I'll have to look her up, I haven't come across her name before. Thanks!

@0hMyLife Жыл бұрын

Wow! I just realized you have only been on here for a few months. I must say, you are doing an absolutely amazing job with your channel!!!!! I discovered your channel with part 1 of this 3 part series on Matilda and I honestly thought this was a channel that has been around making videos for YEARS!!!!! I am 1,000,000% subscribing and I cannot wait to see where this channel goes!!!! Thank you for taking the time and effort to create such awesome videos!!!! And do not be afraid to make long videos!! You have a great voice and you REALLY know your stuff!!! I could listen to you for hours on end!!!!

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

@@0hMyLife Oh my goodness, you just made my day! 😊 Thank you so much, and thank you for sticking around. I've got plenty more coming!

@lindadeal3344 11 ай бұрын

The Scots and the Welsh!

@kathrynjordan8782 Жыл бұрын

Matilda is my 26th Great Grandmother. Her courage in her war between her cousin over the crown of England, that was rightfully hers, was amazing. Thank you so much for this 3 part series. It shows the strength of women in power as queen like Mary I and Elizabeth I.

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

You're welcome! Empress Matilda is one of my heroines. I think she would have made a formidable first queen, had she been given the opportunity.

@Hypnobunny1 Жыл бұрын

She was an amazing woman and should have been monarch not Stephen

@joiespelund4170 Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for this 3 part series. I am a descendent of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Alienor d'Aquitaine) so have researched, read, and watched everything I could. I find her an amazing woman of her time. I must admit though, that I had a negative view of her mother-in-law, Matilda, seeing her much like all the negative appraisals of her age. Now ~ finally! ~ I can see and understand a much broader view of Matilda. She, also, was a force to be reckoned with! What an amazing lady and human! Thanks again for opening and expanding my sight.

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, Joi! Like many female figures in history, I think for both Matilda and Eleanor (along with countless others) their actions were often explained through the stereotypes of their patriarchal society, and sadly this went unchallenged for a long time. It's just a shame no one bothered to note what the two must have thought of one another - I think it would be fascinating to know!

@bonniesaxe9460 Жыл бұрын

Question. Is your descendantsie come from French or Anglo/Norman line?

@joiespelund4170 Жыл бұрын

@@bonniesaxe9460 It goes up from my maternal grandmother's line, branching in many directions to be re-joined on the French side. So to Louis VII (and also his brother, Robert de Dreux {the first I found}) I know the English side goes back to Charlemagne also, but haven't as yet, determined if Eleanor is a direct ancestor on that side. Thanks for asking. It is another 'kick in the pants' to get back to that genealogy. Maybe after harvest and cooler weather......

@MidnightAndLuna Жыл бұрын

Eleanor of Aquitaine always fascinated me. That’s awesome that you are a descendant of such a amazing woman.

@kathrynjordan8782 Жыл бұрын

I am also a descendant of Eleanor of Aquitaine (Alienor d'Aquitaine). I too had a negative view of her mother-in-law Matilda until I saw this 3 part series. I finally got a broader understanding of Matilda. I totally agree with you; Matilda was a force to be reckoned with. She was an amazing lady and human. I, too, am thankful for this series to expanding my view of my 26th Great Grandmother.

@craftycriminalistwithms.z3053 Жыл бұрын

I think Empress Matilda may be one of the few humans I see as a hero of mine. What a woman!

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

Same here! To be honest, I didn't know as much about her as I thought I did until I researched for these videos. I think she's pretty awesome, and definitely one of those women unfairly vilified by the men writing about her at the time.

@maryfrump7937 3 ай бұрын

Her Grandmother Queen Margaret was a great woman. Check out her life.

@JM-The_Curious Жыл бұрын

Wonderful series, thank you! I love how deep it goes. I knew the outline of Matilda's story, that she was made her father's heir after the death of her brother, and that Steven 'stole' her crown, but I didn't know she was an empress or about her half-brother, or anything else except that the crown did finally go to her son. A well-spent three hours of entertainment combined with learning history.

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! I'm so pleased you enjoyed the series. 😊 I've got to admit, before I started researching I wasn't aware of much of her story either, especially as she's usually painted as the villain of her own story. She's become one of my heroines of history as a result!

@ladyagnes9430 Жыл бұрын

Her decendant, Mary I, has been ill treated by chronicles, but her decendant, Elizabeth I is referred to as "Gloriana ".Times changed. I wonder if the Tudor women would have been accepted had it not been for Matilda I? I find it amazing that she was willing to give up her Birthright to ensure that her son was elevated. What a mate what an amazing Queen and mother

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

You're right about Mary I and Elizabeth I; they were both treated very differently with their legacies, even though both did good and bad things! Matilda definitely played the long game for her crown, and giving it up for her son perhaps shows she was determined to keep it in her family (possibly especially as her father had made it clear that's what he wanted to happen). I think Henry II also understood what she gave up, as she was his main advisor and ruled in his stead while he was away. Interestingly, her daughter-in-law didn't fight her for this position, which also possibly shows respect for Matilda and who she was.

@patriciaramsey5294 Жыл бұрын

This series about a (almost) forgotten royal was terrific. Well done. Matilda would have been a great queen.

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. 😊

@lindadeal3344 11 ай бұрын

I really love learning about new personages and she is very interesting!

@karenknicely1788 6 ай бұрын

I think she was a true warrior queen!! Soft and demure whenn needed, and ruled with an iron fist, like a man! Bravo, Mathilda! You rocked🎉🎉🎉🎉❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

@HistorysForgottenPeople 6 ай бұрын

THIS! She is my absolute heroine of all history.

@KarlaAkins1 Жыл бұрын

I’m one of her direct descendants. I loved learning about her! Many women in my family are considered inappropriately “bossy.” I guess she lives on!

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

I love that her commanding spirit has continued on through the generations! It's a great legacy. 😊

@tinawantland398 Жыл бұрын

I now have an entirely different perspective of Matilda. In fact, when I began listening to the 3 part series, I was very confused. On one hand I knew of whom you were speaking, but on the other I thought “Certainly this is not the Matilda I “know””. I’ve never claimed to be an expert on English/British history, but now I can add a lot more to what I do know. Thank you for this very informative “expose’” of the true Matilda.

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

Thank you so much, I'm so pleased you enjoyed it! I agree, the 'real' Matilda never seems to have made much of an appearance in history except as the jealous woman snatching Stephen's crown, or as an embittered mother behind her son. It's to be expected that the first female queen in a very male England would not be remembered fondly, unfortunately. Ironically, at the time, she was popular with at least half the country though, as they sided with her! And her life before she attempted to be crowned as queen is hardly ever mentioned, even though I think it's so important to show how she would have handled being a monarch after being a very competent empress.

@Incognicia 11 ай бұрын

Empress Matilda is my 23rd great grandmother. Thank you so much for telling her story.

@HistorysForgottenPeople 11 ай бұрын

You're welcome, I hope you enjoyed it! 😊

@Incognicia 11 ай бұрын

@@HistorysForgottenPeople I did very much

@MidnightAndLuna Жыл бұрын

Because she was a woman, all of her attributes were seen as negative when they would have been considered a positive if she were a male. She proved herself affective in Germany and I believe she would have been in England. In the end, her son gained the crown so although she wasn’t officially crowned, her line continued. This made way for my other favorite female ruler, Eleanor of Aquitaine.

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

Yes, exactly! 'Assertive' became 'haughty' and so on. It was effective propaganda for the time she lived, unfortunately. But as you point out, she had the last laugh in the end as she helped crown her son Henry. And he in turn always had her as one of his foremost advisers, and she was able to influence a lot of events from behind the throne!

@kathrynjordan8782 Жыл бұрын

I also believed she would have been effective in England. I don't think the nobles thought she could. It was good that her son Henry was able to get the English nobles to declare him king of England after Stephen died. Matilda's courage as a ruler lead the way to my 25th Great Grandmother's as ruler along side of her husband Henry II. Eleanor of Aquitaine is a favorite ruler. There are other female rulers that favorites of mine.

@MidnightAndLuna Жыл бұрын

@@kathrynjordan8782 I agree!

@amyrat151 Жыл бұрын

Henry II was a magnificent bastard, but he loved his mommy.

@denisestevens2540 Жыл бұрын

She is my 24th Great Grandmother ♡

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

It's fantastic how many people are descended from her! :)

@lindadeal3344 11 ай бұрын

❤

@lindadeal3344 11 ай бұрын

@@HistorysForgottenPeople well women were expected to produce and childbirth was a battle itself as you never knew if you would survive or die of childbirth fever! Or depression!

@corneliaarendsen8215 3 ай бұрын

Fantastic channel.🎉🎉🎉I enjoyed this series. I have seen all your videos and I hope you make more. English history is so interesting🎉 I can understand every word, your voice is nice. Thank you for all your work. Greetings from Spain. ❤❤❤❤

@liambarrett8522 5 ай бұрын

Absolutely fantastic 3 part series, throughly enjoyed!

@HistorysForgottenPeople 5 ай бұрын

Thank you, I'm so pleased you enjoyed it! ☺

@mansanayanaranjado 10 ай бұрын

I really liked the ending about Henry Fitzempress. That was very progressive of him.

@HistorysForgottenPeople 10 ай бұрын

It was a really cool thing to find out when I was researching Matilda! It makes me think he must have been very proud of her (not that he wasn't of his father), and understood that she had never got the recognition she should have, and so perhaps it was his small way of trying to do that.

@ladymeghenderson9337 Жыл бұрын

What a wonderful story, thank you. The meaning of Matilda: Battle ready

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

You're welcome. 😊 Matilda certainly does seem to have been ready for anything that was thrown at her!

@DavidGlory-zs7xo 2 ай бұрын

A fascinating new insight into Matilda, thank you.

@HistorysForgottenPeople 2 ай бұрын

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! 😊

@milicat2747 3 ай бұрын

All praise to Empress Matilda and her brother, Earl of Gloucester ❤

@lucyburr5516 2 ай бұрын

All 3 episodes are very well done

@HistorysForgottenPeople 2 ай бұрын

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed them! ☺

@shamarunger5908 Жыл бұрын

We women still fight the same fight.

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

It certainly is an ongoing process! But I think hopefully we're making some progress. 🙂

@lindadeal3344 11 ай бұрын

Progress after how many centuries isn't real progress we basically wore them down and out!!

@lindadeal3344 11 ай бұрын

Oh you are an optimistic person.

@robynw6307 Жыл бұрын

Oh, if they had only known what strong women would become ruling queens in the future.

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

I think some of them might have had heart attacks on the spot! 😆

@Anna_Key 4 ай бұрын

They only needed to remember that Queens had been strong in the past.

@jessjess23brooks89 2 ай бұрын

Historians and chroniclers naysaying Matilda always gets me. "Proud, willful, puffed up, arrogant" So, like a king?

@HistorysForgottenPeople 2 ай бұрын

Exactly! Matilda demonstrated the exact qualities that would have made her an excellent ruler by medieval standards, and was only discounted by virtue of being a woman. And to add to that, no one had ever really directly stated WHY women shouldn't rule in practice, it was something that had simply become accepted by this point.

@Ancient_Pollyanna 10 ай бұрын

Gorgeous series. Thank you!

@HistorysForgottenPeople 10 ай бұрын

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it! 😊 I had a lot of fun starting out with Empress Matilda!

@kathrynjordan8782 Жыл бұрын

Somehow, I don't think Stephen thought his cousin Matilda would defeat him and become Queen of England. Is this what someone gets when one usurps the throne? After she died, her son Henry became Henry II (my 25th Great Grandfather).

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

Agreed - I think he thought support for her would eventually falter away, but of course, it didn't! The staggering part is that he allowed the civil war to continue on for 19 years. It makes me wonder if it would have gone on longer had his son not died.

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

@lfgifu296 Жыл бұрын

How do you do research on your ancestry that far back?

@madelinevanderbunny607 Ай бұрын

Thanks!

@vivienrees3755 Жыл бұрын

I thoroughly enjoyed learning about Matilda, she was obviously an amazing woman, living in a very male dominated world. I am on ancestry researching my family roots and I would love to say that my ancestors were of royal blood. They may have been but I have yet to find any evidence of it. I have gone back to my 11th great grandparents, alas, there are plenty of farmers and servants, but no royals so far, not even a Knight!!!🤣 Keep up the good work, these sort of videos are so informative.

@HistorysForgottenPeople Жыл бұрын

Don't worry, my family tree is the same - farmers and pig iron workers as far as the eye can see! 🤣 And thank you, I'm glad you enjoyed it. 😊

@lindadeal3344 11 ай бұрын

Gosh, we can't all be royals and I don't want to be a member of the aristocracy as they weren't always trustworthy! I would be happiest with great horses, plenty of pasture land with Guernsey cows a peacock 🦚 and some very territorial geese! I prefer good animals rather than men of dubious minds and loyalty!

@davidlloyd2225 10 ай бұрын

0:38 sherwood...wolf bak and king of kings❤️🇬🇧💯 1:14

@bbl2019 2 ай бұрын

Do you think the war would have dragged on if Eustace wouldn’t have died when he did?

@HistorysForgottenPeople 2 ай бұрын

That's an interesting point, and I think it's very possible it might have gone on at least for longer. I'm not sure it would have gone on for much longer than a few extra years though, only on the basis that both sides would have eventually run out of money. I always think it's amazing that the people in both England and Normandy didn't protest more at funding a 19 year war, but of course, I imagine no one felt like protesting very much when their grandparents could possibly still remember the Norman Conquest.