Matilda of Scotland, born Edith, was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry
I.
Early life Matilda was born around 1080 in Dunfermline,
the daughter of Malcolm III of Scotland and Saint Margaret. She was christened Edith,
and Robert Curthose, Duke of Normandy, stood as godfather at the ceremony. The English
queen Matilda of Flanders was also present at the baptismal font and served as her godmother.
Baby Matilda pulled at Queen Matilda's headdress, which was seen as an omen that the younger
Matilda would be queen one day. The Life of St Margaret, Queen of Scotland
was later written for Matilda possibly by Turgot of Durham. It refers to Matilda's childhood
and her relationship with her mother. In it, Margaret is described as a strict but loving
mother. She did not spare the rod when it came to raising her children in virtue, which
the author presupposed was the reason for the good behaviour Matilda and her siblings
displayed, and Margaret also stressed the importance of piety.
When she was about six years old, Matilda of Scotland and her sister Mary were sent
to Romsey Abbey, near Southampton, where their aunt Cristina was abbess. During her stay
at Romsey and, some time before 1093, at Wilton Abbey, both institutions known for learning,
the Scottish princess was much sought-after as a bride; refusing proposals from William
de Warenne, 2nd Earl of Surrey, and Alan Rufus, Lord of Richmond. Hériman of Tournai claimed
that William Rufus considered marrying her. Her education went beyond the standard feminine
pursuits. This was not surprising as her mother was a great lover of books. Her daughters
learned English, French, and some Latin, and were sufficiently literate to read St. Augustine
and the Bible. In 1093, her parents betrothed her to Alan
Rufus, Lord of Richmond, one of her numerous suitors. However, before the marriage took
place, her father entered into a dispute with William Rufus. In response, he marauded the
English king's lands where he was surprised by Robert de Mowbray, Earl of Northumbria
and killed along with his son, Edward. Upon hearing of her husband and son's death, Margaret,
already ill, died on November 16. Edith was now an orphan. She was abandoned by her betrothed
who ran off with a daughter of Harold Godwinson, Gunhild of Wessex. However, he died before
they could be married. She had left the monastery by 1093, when Anselm,
Archbishop of Canterbury, wrote to the Bishop of Salisbury ordering that the daughter of
the King of Scotland be returned to the monastery that she had left. She did not return to Wilton
and until 1100, is largely unaccounted for in chronicles.
Marriage After the mysterious death of William II in
August 1100, his brother, Henry, immediately seized the royal treasury and crown. His next
task was to marry and Henry's choice was Matilda. Because Matilda had spent most of her life
in a convent, there was some controversy over whether she was a nun and thus canonically
ineligible for marriage. Henry sought permission for the marriage from Archbishop Anselm, who
returned to England in September 1100 after a long exile. Professing himself unwilling
to decide so weighty a matter on his own, Anselm called a council of bishops in order
to determine the canonical legality of the proposed marriage. Matilda testified that
she had never taken holy vows, insisting that her parents had sent her and her sister to
England for educational purposes, and her aunt Cristina had veiled her to protect her
"from the lust of the Normans." Matilda claimed she had pulled the veil off and stamped on
it, and her aunt beat and scolded her for this act. The council concluded that Matilda
was not a nun, never had been and her parents had not intended that she become one, giving
their permission for the marriage. Matilda and Henry seem to have known one another
for some time before their marriage — William of Malmesbury states that Henry had "long
been attached" to her, and Orderic Vitalis says that Henry had "long adored" her character.
It is possible that Matilda had spent some time at William Rufus's court and that the
pair had met there. It is also possible Henry was introduced to his bride by his teacher
Bishop Osmund. Whatever the case, it is clear that the two at least knew each other prior
to their wedding. Additionally, the chronicler William of Malmesbury suggests that the new
king loved his bride. Matilda's mother was the sister of Edgar the
Ætheling, proclaimed but uncrowned King of England after Harold, and, through her, Matilda
was descended from Edmund Ironside and thus from the royal family of Wessex, which in
the 10th century had become the royal family of a united England. This was extremely important
because although Henry had been born in England, he needed a bride with ties to the ancient
Wessex line to increase his popularity with the English and to reconcile the Normans and
Anglo-Saxons. In their children, the two factions would be united, further unifying the new
regime. Another benefit was that England and Scotland became politically closer; three
of Matilda's brothers became kings of Scotland in succession and were unusually friendly
towards England during this period of unbroken peace between the two nations: Alexander married
one of Henry I's illegitimate daughters and David lived at Henry's court for some time
before his accession. Matilda had a small dower but it did incorporate
some lordship rights. Most of her dower estates were granted from lands previously held by
Edith of Wessex. Additionally, Henry made numerous grants on his wife including substantial
property in London. Generosity aside, this was a political move in order to win over
the unruly Londoners who were vehement supporters of the Wessex kings.
Queen
After Matilda and Henry were married on 11 November 1100 at Westminster Abbey by Archbishop
Anselm of Canterbury, she was crowned as "Matilda," a hallowed Norman name. By courtiers, however,
she and her husband were soon nicknamed 'Godric and Godiva'. These two names were typical
English names from before The Conquest and mocked their more rustic style, especially
when compared to the flamboyance of William II.
She gave birth to a daughter, Matilda, born in February 1102, and a son, William, called
"Adelin", in November 1103. As queen, she resided primarily at Westminster, but accompanied
her husband on his travels around England, and, circa 1106–1107, probably visited Normandy
with him. Matilda was the designated head of Henry's curia and acted as regent during
his frequent absences. During the English investiture controversy,
she acted as intercessor between her husband and archbishop Anselm. She wrote several letters
during Anselm's absence, first asking him for advice and to return, but later increasingly
to mediate. Works
Matilda had great interest in architecture and instigated the building of many Norman-style
buildings, including Waltham Abbey and Holy Trinity Aldgate. She also had the first arched
bridge in England built, at Stratford-le-Bow, as well as a bathhouse with piped-in water
and public lavatories at Queenhithe. Her court was filled with musicians and poets;
she commissioned a monk, possibly Thurgot, to write a biography of her mother, Saint
Margaret. She was an active queen and, like her mother, was renowned for her devotion
to religion and the poor. William of Malmesbury describes her as attending church barefoot
at Lent, and washing the feet and kissing the hands of the sick. Matilda exhibited a
particular interest in leprosy, founding at least two leper hospitals, including the institution
that later became the parish church of St Giles-in-the-Fields. She also administered
extensive dower properties and was known as a patron of the arts, especially music.
Death After Matilda died on 1 May 1118 at Westminster
Palace, she was buried at Westminster Abbey. The death of her son, William Adelin, in the
tragic disaster of the White Ship and Henry's failure to produce a legitimate son from his
second marriage led to the succession crisis of The Anarchy.
Legacy After her death, she was remembered by her
subjects as "Matilda the Good Queen" and "Matilda of Blessed Memory", and for a time sainthood
was sought for her, though she was never canonized. Matilda is also thought to be the identity
of the "Fair Lady" mentioned at the end of each verse in the nursery rhyme London Bridge
Is Falling Down. The post-Norman conquest English monarchs to the present day are related
to the Anglo-Saxon House of Wessex monarchs via Matilda of Scotland as she was the great-granddaughter
of King Edmund Ironside, see House of Wessex family tree.
Issue Matilda and Henry had issue
Euphemia, died young Matilda of England, Holy Roman Empress, Countess
consort of Anjou, called Lady of the English William Adelin,, sometimes called Duke of
Normandy, who married Matilda, daughter of Fulk V, Count of Anjou.
Elizabeth, died young Appearance and Character
"It causes pleasure to see the queen whom no woman equals in beauty of body or face,
hiding her body, nevertheless, in a veil of loose clothing. Here alone, with new modesty,
wishes to conceal it, but what gleams with its own light cannot be hidden and the sun,
penetrating his clouds, hurls his rays." She also had "fluent, honeyed speech." From a
poem of Marbodius of Rennes. Notes and sources
^ She is known to have been given the name "Edith" at birth, and was baptised under that
name. She is known to have been crowned under a name favoured by the Normans, "Matilda",
and was referred to as such throughout her husband's reign. It is unclear, however, when
her name was changed, or why. Accordingly, her later name is used in this article. Historians
generally refer to her as "Matilda of Scotland"; in popular usage, she is referred to equally
as "Matilda" or "Edith". ^ Huneycutt, Lois. Matilda of Scotland: a
Study in Medieval Queenship. Woodbridge: The Boydell Press. p. 10.
^ "The Life of St Margaret, Queen of Scotland". Retrieved 14 March 2011.
^ Hollister 2001:128. ^ Hilton, Lisa. Queen Consort. New York City,
New York: Pegasus Books LLC. p. 42. ISBN 978-1-60598-105-5. ^ Hilton, Lisa. Queen Consort. pp. 42–43.
^ Hilton, Lisa. Queen Consort. p. 43. ^ Hilton, Lisa. Queen Consort. p. 45.
^ Hilton, Lisa. Queen Consort. pp. 44–45. ^ Hollister 2001:126.
^ Hilton, Lisa. Queen Consort. pp. 46–47. ^ Huneycutt. Matilda of Scotland: a Study
in Medieval Queenship. p. 73. ^ Hilton, Lisa. Queen Consort. p. 50.
^ Huneycutt. Matilda of Scotland: a Study in Medieval Queenship. p. 76.
^ Hilton, Lisa. Queen Consort. p. 53. ^ Hilton, Lisa. Queen Consort. p. 63.
^ Hilton, Lisa. Queen Consort. pp. 47–48. References
Chibnall, Marjorie. The Empress Matilda: Queen Consort, Queen Mother, and Lady of the English,
1992 Hilton, Lisa. Queens Consort: England's Medieval
Queens from Eleanor of Aquitaine to Elizabeth of York, 2010 New York City, New York: Pegasus
Books LLC. Hollister, Warren C. Henry I, 2001
Parsons, John Carmi. Medieval Mothering, 1996 Parsons, John Carmi. Medieval Queenship, 1997
Huneycutt, Lois L. Matilda of Scotland: A Study in Medieval Queenship, 2004.
From a poem of Marbodius of Rennes. External links
Medieval Women: The Life Of St Margaret, Queen Of Scotland By Turgot, Bishop Of St Andrews
Ed. William Forbes-Leith, S.J. Third Edition. Edinburgh: David Douglas, 1896 . Retrieved
14 March 2011. Women's Biography: Matilda of Scotland, queen
of the English, contains several letters sent and received by Queen Matilda.