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Jun 10 • Historical tidbits & questions
Learned any history lately? I learned a little about Empress Matilda
Matilda was the eldest legitimate child of Henry I of England, and his choice of heir when he died in 1135. But it was apparently just too hard for people to get their heads around the idea of a woman sitting on the throne.
"The concept was so alien that there wasn’t even a name for it: the word ‘queen’ meant simply ‘the wife of the king’, and didn’t imply any ruling authority. She was, in effect, intending to be not a queen but a female king – and although she would have been perfectly capable in the role, this was unprecedented and therefore regarded with deep suspicion."
I'm tempted to buy the non-fiction book about her mentioned in the article (my library doesn't have it), "Matilda: Empress, Queen, Warrior" by Catherine Hanley. Anyone read any of Hanley's books?
What's some history you've learned recently?
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Learned any history lately? I learned a little about Empress Matilda
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